


Two Weeks in London

by LadyNovaJade



Series: Two Weeks in London universe [1]
Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Just some sex here and there, Sexual Content, Some Fluff, Strong Language, Tom is going to be a Shakespeare/book fanboy, Vacay romance, Voice Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-14
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2017-12-29 10:23:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 64,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1004266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNovaJade/pseuds/LadyNovaJade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emilia Conners always wondered what it would be like to have a whirlwind vacation romance. No strings attached, just two weeks of bliss and then parting with smiles, maybe a kiss and fond memories. Things like that never happened to her though; only in the books she read and the stories she wrote. But then a strange thing happened. Tom Hiddleston asked to sit with her in a small cafe in London. And Emilia's idea of a vacation would never be the same again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is my first work here on AO3 and my first Hiddles ficlet. This will just be a few chapters long, though I'm not quite sure how many yet. I'm hoping it churn it out very quickly as I have the whole thing plotted in my head. Also, I don't have a beta as of right now, so please excuse any mistakes. I'll try to catch them or better yet, not make them :D Hope you guys enjoy!

**Prologue**

“Well?”

Emilia Conners raised her blue-green eyes from her computer screen and adjusted her glasses on her nose. She has been so tired from the flight back from Heathrow a few days ago, she couldn’t be bothered to put her contacts in. She looked at her boss, Maggie, and pursed her lips. “Well what?”

“Well, are you going to tell me what really happened in London?” Maggie asked, her eyes wide and a bright smile on her face. Maggie was in her 50s but Em would have never guessed that by looking at her. She was so much fun, the mother Em wished she could have had - a thought she hated to have as she did love her mother but never felt good enough for her. Maggie’s dark hair was cropped in a very short pixie style that suited her face and her personality. A year and a half ago, Maggie had tempted Emilia from her job in the news department into sales. It was quite possibly the best advice Em had ever received. Making more money, having fun, working with a boss that respected her and she still got to write on her personal projects.

Plus, Maggie loved to talk as much as Emilia. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to hear the two of them chatting and laughing in the sales department throughout the day. Emilia really loved her job and her friendship with her boss. That appreciation grew when she was allowed to take her two week allotted vacation all at once and for the first time, visited London.

Em sighed and leaned back in her chair as Maggie took up her spot in the guest chair. She leaned against the desk, her chin propped in her hand. “Come on now, it can’t have been as tamed as you told everyone when you got back,” she said with a grin.

Em felt her cheeks flush; images of a tall man, his bright smile and blue eyes, flitted through her brain quickly. She cleared her throat and turned her attention back to the computer screen.

“Ah, I knew it! I knew it, you met a guy, didn’t you?” Maggie asked, her voice an excited whisper.

Emilia licked her lips, “I met a lot of people, Maggie.” That was the truth, too.

“But there was a guy, wasn’t there?” Maggie laughed. “Tell me about him.”

Emilia sighed and leaned back in her chair. Memories of his hand going through his dark, reddish curls; his fingers curling around hers the same way they curled around his cups of tea. His laugh still sounded in her ears and she was too proud to admit that since she got back, she listened to the voicemails he had left on her phone, just so she wouldn’t forget the sound of his voice.

“He was … nice. He sort of became my personal guide around London,” Emilia answered carefully.

“Just a guide or did you two…?” Maggie trailed off, wagging her perfectly trimmed eyebrows up and down suggestively.

Emilia laughed and felt her face burn brightly again, giving her away. Oh yes, the two of them did … and they did several times. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt a keen sense of want tingle out from her chest, through her entire body. If she closed her eyes and held very still, she could still feel the ghost of those gorgeous hands, the rough fingertips caressing her. She could still feel his lips on hers. She could still feel him deep inside her, whispering in his gorgeous accent, “You are so beautiful, darling.”

Maggie laughed, “Okay, now you have to tell me. You’re as red as your hair.”

Emilia gulped, “Well, his name is Tom and we met at a cafe my second day in London…”


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emilia meets a stranger at a cafe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm editing this on my own, so please excuse the errors! :)

One

_Three weeks ago_

“Is there anyone sitting here?”

Emilia’s hand paused in its movement across the page of her newest writing journal. She had sat at the outdoor cafe all afternoon, enjoying what she was told was a rare bout of sunshine in London. Her second day in the city had been absolutely perfect; she walked from her hotel all around, gazing at the old buildings and trying to not gawk at everyone as they passed her. As she had slept most of her first day thanks to jet lag, she was keen to check out as much as she could on foot the second day. There was plenty of time to do everything, she told herself. So when she found the small cafe and her stomach growled and the sun came out, she thought it wouldn’t be bad at all to sit and enjoy the afternoon.

After she finished her food and her waitress brought her a cup of tea, Emilia drew out her journal and tipped her head back, closing her eyes to let the sun warm her face. The feel of the fresh paper, clean of words, beneath her fingers was like a siren’s call. She listened to the people around her, some accents smooth, some quite rough and jarred. Finally, she grasped onto an idea floating through her mind and turned her attention to the book open on her lap. Crossing her legs, she briefly plotted the beginning in her mind and then, her hand began to move, marring the pretty paper.

She was just getting ready to pause, think through the opening scene once more, when the man’s smooth voice brought her from her thoughts. Turning her eyes up, she felt her heart skip and nervousness shoot through her. He was tall, at least 6 foot, not thin but not bulky either. His jeans fit him like they had been acquainted with his body for several years. The green button down he wore on the other hand, was almost a size too small she thought, but she didn’t mind looking at the way the fabric stretched over his chest, arms and shoulders, which looked tone and strong. Emilia had a thing for well defined arms and shoulders.

The sun was behind him, so she couldn’t really see much of his face - he had darker hair that seemed to be in curls and a slightly narrow jaw. His eyes were covered with sunglasses and he wore a friendly smile. All in all, she could say that he was attractive from what she could see … but it was his voice that had sort of paralyzed her for a moment.

“It’s just that the cafe is quite packed,” he continued as she stared silently. “And you look like the only friendly soul out here with no one sitting with you.”

Emilia wanted to describe his voice, the ebb and flow of his perfectly chosen words, but she couldn’t quite nail down the right words. And she knew plenty of words. None of them fit in that moment.

“If you would rather I not disturb you…” he started when she still didn’t answer, Emilia sat up straight and told herself to knock it off.

“Oh no, no, I’m sorry. Please, go ahead,” she said quickly, reaching forward to grab up some maps and other papers she had spread out earlier as she ate.

The man pulled his hand from his pocket and moved the chair back, sitting down rather gracefully. Now that he was in front of her, Emilia could see the light scruff on his face, indicating he probably had not shaved that morning. He had long fingers and wide palms that took hold of his sunglasses and pushed them to the top of his dark-reddish curls. When he smiled at her again, Em gave back a breathless, nervous one of her own. His eyes were a striking shade of blue and he looked at her in a way that made her flush.

“I have to say, I don’t see many people writing in journals anymore,” he commented, his voice still pleasant with a low tone that made her hang on every word. “Mostly it’s laptops or some other device. It’s interesting to see … You are a writer, correct?”

Emilia licked her lips, “Yes, but for now it’s just personal writings. I used to be a journalist.”

“Used to be?” he inquired curiously, then paused as the waitress took his order. “Why aren’t you anymore?”

Emilia felt her cheeks flush as she looked back down at her book, petting the page slowly. “Bad experience, I guess you could say.”

To that, he didn’t say anything and when she looked up, his blue eyes were studying her carefully, his lips pursed together so that she really couldn’t see them at all. Her cheeks grew warmer under his gaze and she ducked her head, pushing a stray strand of auburn hair back behind her ear. She was trying to think of some way to break his stare. It wasn’t unnerving, but she couldn’t figure him out and that rattled her. She was good at reading people, reading their intentions in their actions. But she couldn’t read this guy. It intrigued the hell out of her.

“So… what’s your name?” she asked, hoping that would do the trick.

His eyes furrowed a bit and then he shook his head, as if pulling himself from some deep thoughts. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m usually not so completely rude. I’m Tom.” He reached across the table and Emilia smiled, slipping her smaller palm in his large, warm one.

“Emilia.”

Tom have her another lovely smile, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emilia. And I thank you for sharing your table with me.”

Okay, he was an actor, theatre at the very least. The way he spoke carefully, the way his words rolled off his tongue in a way she wasn’t accostomed to hearing … definitely theatre. She wanted to ask him, but didn’t know if that would be crossing a line or not.

“So, what region of America are you from? I have to admit, I’m not familiar with your particular accent,” he said as the waitress set his tea before him. He then ordered a kettle of hot water, as if he expected them to be there for a while, and then looked to Emilia as he sipped from his cup.

She cleared her throat, becoming slightly self-conscious about her particular accent. “Midwest. Indiana actually,” she answered softly.

“Ah, that explains why I can’t quite pin it down,” Tom said with a slight chuckle. “I’m very good at recognizing accents usually.”

This made her relax somewhat and chuckle. “Yes, we aren’t quite north nor are we south.”

He grinned, “Quite right.”

Emilia bit the corner of her bottom lip, tearing her eyes from him and sipping her tea. “What is it that you do, Tom?”

At the question, his eyes narrowed a bit and his grin became a bit mischievous. “What is it that you think I do, Emilia?”

The way her name rolled from his tongue made her shift in her seat a bit and clear her throat. She realized very quickly that she liked the sound far too much for barely knowing him. “I would say that you are a stage actor.”

His eyebrows shot up at that and he took another sip of his tea as he settled back into his chair and regarded  her over his cup. “Why would you suggest that?”

She shrugged a bit. “The way you speak. You … you’re very careful with your words.”

“Hmm, I’ve never quite heard it explained like that.” He grinned brightly. “A very good observation, Emilia, for I am indeed an actor. But I’ve done a lot more than just theatre.”

She felt like he was waiting for her to ask him about that or immediately recognize him. And while she did feel like he was looking more and more familiar, she didn’t want to be rude. Or awkward. She already felt awkward enough. So instead, she just smiled at him, put her pen in her journal to mark her spot, and set the book on the table. “I’m sure you’re very good at it,” she said.

Tom chuckled and shrugged, “I continue to get work, so I suppose I do well enough for myself. I enjoy it.”

“That’s the most important thing in the world, enjoying what you do,” she said honestly.

“More important than love?” he asked curiously.

That caught Emilia off guard. She had never been in love … well, once, when she was in high school with the boy that lived up the street from her. But she realized later it was not love, just a longing, a crush. No, Emilia had never known what love was. And after the disaster of her last writing job, she decided being happy was more important than anything else.

Emilia shrugged, “I’ve never been in love, so I can’t say that for sure.”

“Never been in love, well that’s a shame. I thought all women fell in love as often as they could.”

She looked up to see he was teasing her. “Not all women.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment longer than necessary and Em found herself wondering what he was thinking … better yet, what possessed him to pick her table to sit at. She had been on plenty of vacations by herself. Most times she met up with friends, but she was no stranger to being in a town on her own. Men rarely approached her and if they did, it always ended in polite conversation only.

She often wondered what it would be like to have a vacation romance. Like the ones she read about in novels and sometimes sketched out in her notebooks. Something fun and flirty and yeah, maybe some hot sex. Her face flushed again unwillingly as she briefly thought about that with Tom. The image was gone before he could fully appear in her mind, however.

Emilia shifted in her seat again and sipped down the rest of her tea. The waitress had brought the new kettle and although she had not counted on staying for another cup, she poured herself a fresh one anyway.

“How long will you be staying in London, Emilia?” Tom asked, seemingly very pleased that she settled down for another cup.

“Two weeks,” she replied. The two of them were relaxed in their chairs, staring at one another. Emilia felt like maybe they were in a chess game or something of that nature. “This is my second day here.”

Tom smiled, “That’s very good.”

She laughed, “Your tone makes it sound like my stay fits into a plan you have.”

“As it happens, I am between jobs for the moment,” he said offhandedly.

Emilia smiled and sipped her tea, “Imagine that.” She didn’t believe for a minute he was actually suggesting they would see each other after this small meeting. She couldn’t picture it at all. That only happened in the movies and she had learned a long time ago her life was not like a movie.

The afternoon passed easily, effortlessly between them. Tom freely told her about his childhood, his time in acting school, his first few jobs and his love for Shakespeare. Oh, his love of Shakespeare. Emilia was both amused and enthralled by him. Tom spoke with his hands and clearly had a passion for the written word … for life in general. She could tell he was a good actor; he loved to tell the stories, loved to be animated, to laugh, to smile. He was fascinating… and charming. He drew her in so easily, she was a little startled by it.

She asked him what his favorite Shakespeare quote was and was answered with a groan, his head falling back as if she had asked him to pick a favorite star in the sky.

“There are so many I could rattle off. It’s always different, every day I have a new favorite in the moment. But my favorite today,” he paused and rubbed a hand over his chin, looking at her thoughtfully. “It’s from Cymbeline, when Imogene and Posthumus are reunited, he says to her, ‘Hang there like fruit, my soul, til the tree die.’ That moment to me is just beautiful, one of my favorites.”

When he finished, she smiled slowly and then bit her lower lip. He held her gaze and then laughed nervously, scrubbing a hand along the back of his neck.

“You can say it,” he said softly, his voice low and giving her goosebumps under her cardigan.

“Say what?” she asked, feeling like she was hanging on desperately for his next sentence.

“That I am over the top? I always forget not everyone enjoys when I burst into Shakespeare,” he said and … he was blushing! His tone was now slightly nervous as he reached back and rubbed the back of his neck again.

“No,” she replied. “You’re not over the top at all. You are yourself. It’s refreshing.”

“Really?” he asked, his eyebrow raised.

Emilia laughed softly, “Yes, really.”

Tom smiled now, “That’s so funny you say that. Because I found you very refreshing as well when I saw you sitting here.”

She felt herself blush at his comments. Before she could ask him what exactly it was he saw that was so ‘refreshing’ about her, the waitress walked up to ask if they would be staying for dinner. Tom looked at his watch and muttered something under his breath.

“Unfortunately I have to go. I have a dinner meeting with my agent soon,” he said, looking up at Emilia as if he were distraught at having to end their conversation.

She smiled as warmly as she could, “That’s fine. I actually am ready to head back to the hotel.”

The two settled their bills and as they stood in front of the cafe, Tom helped her into her light jacket she brought. The air was chilling around them as the sun started to set and Emilia suddenly wished they could walk back to her hotel. But that was foolish.

“So, do you have a car here, Emilia, or did you take a taxi?” Tom asked, taking his keys from his pocket.

Em pursed her lips, “I actually walked down here from my hotel. It’s quite a bit, but once I started walking I just didn’t stop.”

Fantastic, now she was rambling.

His smile faltered somewhat, “Well, allow me to drive you back? It’s getting dark and isn’t exactly safe for a young woman to be walking alone. Especially a pretty American who’s only in her second day of her visit.”

She was glad it was darker out because she blushed again. “Who’s to say you aren’t some creepy stalker picking up unsuspecting women in cafes around London?”

Tom laughed at that, a really gorgeous sound that warmed her in the night air. “Then at least let me call you a cab. I really don’t want to see you walking alone.

Emilia pursed her lips and looked down the traffic. A few taxis passed regularly and it wouldn’t be hard at all to hail one for the short trip down to her waiting hotel. However, the closer their departure came, the more she wanted to delay it. So Emilia did something her conscious told her was very foolish.

“I think I trust you enough to drive me to my home away from home,” she said carefully.

His face lit up in a bright smile at that. “Fantastic. Shall we?” He offered his arm to her and she laughed softly as she slipped hers around his and let him lead her down the street a bit.

Tom was a complete gentleman, opening her door for her, making sure she was comfortable with the temperature of the car and keeping the conversation just as light as it was at their table. Emilia had hoped a bit that some traffic would keep the drive long, but unfortunately in about 10 minutes, he was pulling up to the front door.

“Well, this is me,” she said awkwardly, smiling at him shyly.

Tom gave her a soft smile in return, “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” she said without hesitation.

“I was wondering if you would be interested in accompanying me to dinner tomorrow evening. If you don’t already have plans that is.”

Em swallowed hard, the sensible part of her brain chastising her, telling her this was how tourists ended up getting butchered to death by rich, bored people or how Jack the Ripper worked. Luring in nonsensical girls with pretty words and gorgeous smiles. Tom definitely had that in spades.

But it was her vacation, the first in years where she felt free of so many things. She wanted to enjoy herself, try things she had never done before … be the person she always wished she had been.

“I’d be honored to have dinner with you,” she answered.

Tom pursed his lips and then smiled, “Perfect. How about 7?”

She nodded and then asked for his phone. He gave her a puzzled look, but dug it out of his back pocket. Em watched his movement shamelessly; the way his jeans hugged his backside and how his shirt revealed the tiniest strip of skin about his waist. When he handed it to her, she quickly added her name and number to his contacts.

“And it works, I promise. Had that all lined out before I left the States,” she said, again feeling awkward.

Tom chuckled, “Good. I’ll ring you tomorrow when I’m on my way then.”

She nodded and felt a strong urge to kiss his cheek as she turned to open the car door. Well, that would have just been silly, wouldn’t it? Why would he want her to do that?

For once, Emilia gave the negative voice in her head a shove and turned back to him. She leaned over the console and gently pressed her lips to his cheek. It was slightly rough from the stubble there, but he smelled so delicious and she lingered longer than she should have. Regaining herself quickly, she pulled back to smile at him, “Thanks for the ride home.”

“Yo-you’re very welcome,” he answered, sounding caught off guard.

With one last look, Emilia climbed out of the car. She got five steps before she looked back to see him watching her through the windows. And he didn’t leave until she was safely in the lobby.


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Emilia share a lovely evening together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise things are going to start moving now in this whirlwind romance ;) Thanks to everyone who's stopping by to check the story out and thank you for the kudos!

**Two**

Emilia was trying not to panic. Even though she already was.

She had, of course, not expected an impossibly attractive British man to approach her while in London. And she had definitely not expected one impossibly attractive British man to ask her to a formal dinner. Thankfully, her best friend Carmen had higher hopes for the trip than Em had.

Tom texted her earlier in the day to ask if she had a dress to wear that night. That was the first panic attack. Looking through her closet and her suitcase, she finally caught sight of a dress Carmen had made her buy for the trip and apparently made sure it got into her luggage. Em didn’t even remember taking it out of her suitcase and hanging it up.

The dress made her nervous; it was form-fitting and dark purple satin, sleeveless and stopped just above her knees. It was classic but sexy. Or so Carmen claimed. And it was Emilia’s only option.

So after she got back to the hotel after her day of exploring, she jumped in the shower and then started on her hair and makeup. She kept things simple; nice large, hollywood curls in her auburn hair and a black smokey eye for her make up. Her lips were tinted a subtle pink, which matched the dusting of blush across her cheeks. If Emilia prided herself on anything, it was that she really could do her hair and makeup well.

But still … she was panicking. So she picked up her phone.

“Hello?” Carmen answered on the fifth ring.

“Please tell me you can talk me down right now really quick,” Emilia begged.

“Is this about the date you texted me about?”

“Yes. Car, I’m panicking. He’s on his way, right now, and I’m panicking.”

“Well stop or your face will turn all red. Take a deep breath,” Carmen instructed.

Emilia did just that and looked at herself in the mirror, “I can’t believe I’m doing this. I don’t even know his last name.”

Carmen chuckled, “Naughty for Miss Prim and Proper, going out with a sinfully gorgeous British man and not knowing his full name. What will they say about you in the office?”

“Carmen,” Em groaned.

“Hey, come on. It’s about time you did something like this. You are always doing what everyone else tells you is the right thing to do. It’s about time you made your own decisions and handled things yourself,” her friend said bluntly.

“That’s fine and dandy, except this decision could land me in a cold cell right out of the movie Hostile!”

“Overdramatic. Em, not everyone is a murdering nut.”

Emilia took a deep breath, “I have no idea why he even wants to take me to dinner.”

“All right, that’s it. Face-time,” Carmen instructed.

“What? No! I’m not face-timing you right now. Tom is on his way over here!

“You turn it on right now or so help me, Em.”

“Fine.”

Emilia turned on the facetime call feature on her phone and came face to face with her best friend. Carmen, with her round face and blonde hair, smiled brightly; she was actually a welcoming sight. “Okay sweetcheeks, let me see the whole get-up.”

Em turned the camera to the mirror and Carmen let out a whistle.

“Girl, this guy must really be hot because you went all out.”

Emilia pursed her lips, “You don’t think it looks like I’m trying too hard or anything?”

Carmen scoffed, “You look so hot. You put on a necklace and some beige heels and Tom’s tongue will be hanging out of his mouth.”

Emilia was still certain she didn’t look that good.

“Hey,” Carmen said, getting her attention. “He wanted to go to dinner with you. He obviously wants to get to know you a bit. Loosen up, chick! Have a few glasses of wine and just be yourself. You’re amazing and he’s a lucky son of a bitch to have your sexy self going out with him tonight.”

Em smiled at her friend, “Gotta believe it, right?”

“Damn straight. Trust me, I wouldn’t lie to you, okay?”

Emilia nodded as her phone buzzed with another call. “Oh God, Carmen, that’s him.”

“Deep breath, remember what I told you and call me with the details of how good he kisses.”

“I’m not gonna kiss him!”

Carmen laughed, “Oh yes you are. See ya!”

When her friend disappeared, Emilia quickly answered Tom’s call. “Hello?”

“Emilia? It’s Tom. I just stepped into the lobby. Are you ready?” he asked, his voice low and smooth, causing her to shiver.

“Um, well,” she started slowly, looking around for the beige pumps Carmen had thrown in her bag. “If you walk really slowly across the lobby to the elevator, get off on the third floor and slowly make your way to room 319, I could be ready by then?”

Tom chuckled softly and Emilia smiled. “I can do that. See you soon, love.”

She took a minute after hanging up to gather her thoughts. Then she found the shoes, put them on, checked her hair and put on a necklace of gold cascading chains. She had laid out her long beige, double-breasted wool dress coat and clutch on the sofa in her suite and was just touching up the pink gloss on her lips when a sharp knock sounded on her door.

Emilia pulled in a deep breath and carefully made her way to the door, looking through the peephole to make sure it was him. When she opened the door, she couldn’t help but smile brightly at him. She wasn’t too proud to admit she had been waiting all day to see him.

He looked at her, his blue eyes wide as they moved up and down her frame. His lips slightly parted as if he were going to say something. Emilia, pursed her lips and looked down at herself, her fear of overdoing her look surging to the front again. “Is it too much? I thought when you asked about a dress, it would be a formal place and this is really the only formal dress I brought.” Rambling again. Absolutely fantastic way to start the evening.

Tom shook his head and stepped closer, crowding her in the doorway. She didn’t mind. Especially when his hand took hers and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “It’s perfect. You look absolutely stunning, Emilia,” he said softly, his voice a touch gravelly and she had to swallow hard to find her rational thought.

“Thank you,” she replied, smiling shyly. “You look quite dapper yourself.” As she made the remark, she reached out and smoothed down one of the lapels of his black dinner jacket. She wasn’t lying when she said he looked good; really, he looked sexy. He had on black slacks, another tight button-down in a light blue color and a black dinner jacket over that, no tie. Add in the fact he smelled so good, she wanted to curl up against him and not move, and she knew she was in trouble. She was desperately trying not to drool.

“I-I just need to grab my coat and clutch and we can head out,” she said after gathering her thoughts.

She turned and walked over to the sofa, picking up her clutch and putting her phone inside. Tom had followed her and she watched as he picked up her coat and held it open for her. And her mother told her chivalry was dead…

As he helped her into her coat, he cleared his throat, “I would like to make a suggestion, if you don’t mind.”

She chuckled nervously, “I hope you’re not changing your mind now. I spent a very long time on my hair,” she joked.

Tom laughed as well, “Oh no, definitely not. But… well and it seems odd to ask it this way, but. Do you have any set plans for your holiday?”

Emilia turned to him, her brow furrowed in confusion. “I … there are certain places I definitely want to visit, but I have no itinerary, no,” she answered.

He nodded, “May I offer my services as a guide, then?”

She was sure her eyes went wide as saucers, “What?”

He licked his lips nervously, “I’m a local after all. And it’s been a while since I’ve had time to explore London. I would love to take you around to my favorite places, get you to the ones you wish to see as well.”

Oh. Oh. Emilia didn’t know what to think. How did she process this? Was she awake or was this some weird dream she was having. She pinched her side stealthy and when she didn’t wake up, she looked up to see Tom watching her, his expressive blue eyes waiting. It was then Emilia knew she had to take Carmen’s advice.

“How about,” she started slowly. “We see how this evening goes and I will let you know at the end?”

He grinned. “That sounds like a very sound idea, Emilia.”

Finally, they were out the door and soon in his warm car, headed toward the restaurant. He asked about her day and she talked adamantly about the little shops she had visited and the park she had spent a few hours writing in.

“For someone who isn’t a writer, you are definitely spending a lot of time writing during your holiday,” he teased with a smirk.

Emilia smiled, “I said I wasn’t a journalist anymore. I don’t think one simply stops being a writer. But… they can lose their way a bit.”

They were stopped at a red light and Tom took the moment to look over at her curiously. “And you’ve lost your way?”

Her cheeks flushed. To her, this was a very personal subject. Writing had been her life for so long and after being beaten down for years on end by a jealous editor who would rather her be his personal secretary than a writer, Emilia had done more than lose her way.

“More or less,” she said softly, looking out the car window, really wanting to change the subject.

Thankfully Tom took the hint. He reached over and squeezed her hands resting in her lap. When she looked over at him, he smiled softly, understanding in his blue eyes, and then placed his hand back on the steering wheel.

Emilia was slightly startled by the restaurant they pulled up to. It looked very expensive and very intimidating if she had to be honest. A valet opened Tom’s door and did the same for hers, but Tom was there to take her hand and help her out. Once inside, he helped her out of her coat and once it was handed off, the maître d’ smiled brightly at the two, especially Tom.

“This way, Mr. Hiddleston. We have your table ready in the back.”

Emilia’s brow furrowed as Tom let her follow first, his warm palm resting on her lower back as they moved. Hiddleston, Hiddleston… hmmm…

“Something on your mind?” he whispered in her ear, startling somewhat.

Em jumped a bit and then smiled as the maitre d’ left them at a very private booth in a back room. “No, just … now I have your last name, Mr. Hiddleston.”

He laughed softly and looked at her, again as if he expected recognition to hit her and … what? She’d freak out? Leave? Become a screaming fangirl? But she did none of them, just stared back at him curiously.

Finally he relaxed, “Now we are on even ground, Miss Conners; we are no longer strangers.”

Yes, definitely not strangers, she thought.

She was thankful he ordered some wine because she didn’t want to be the only one drinking. The smooth drink was needed more than she wanted to admit. Halfway through her first glass, she felt like she was finally calming down. The menu for the evening was already set, which Tom apologized for, adding he should have asked her before hand. Emilia just smiled and told him it was more than fine.

Not knowing if it was the wine or if she suddenly had more courage than she ever had before, Emilia scooted around the booth to sit closer to him. She asked about his day now and he told her about it all in detail in a voice as smooth and lovely as the wine in her glass.

The food was the most delicious she had ever had. Between enjoying bites of food, they talked and talked and talked. They talked about her work and her hometown. They talked about his parents and even a bit about hers. They talked about his favorite band, Bon Iver, and about hers, The xx. He unknowingly recited a few lines of Shakespeare in an answer to a question and she unconsciously laid her hand on top of his as they laughed about a story she told.

It was like how she always wished a date to go. Or rather… it was like they had never been strangers at all. And when the dinner was over, she couldn’t help but frown.

“Is something wrong?” Tom asked, his voice laced with concern as they waited for his car.

“Oh, no, it’s just…” Emilia paused and chewed nervously on her bottom lip. She wasn’t sure she wanted to voice it aloud.

He wrapped one of his long arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his warm body. “Did you really want dessert?” he teased.

She grinned, “No, everything was great. I just … I wish the night wasn’t ending so soon.”

Tom gave her such a lovely smile, she thought her knees might give way. “So do I, darling.”

Darling. It was a name she knew some British people used as an endearment and it had never been one she wished someone would call her. However, when Tom called her darling, well Emilia just wanted to kiss him.

The ride back to her hotel was fairly silent. Emilia didn’t feel like it was uncomfortable, just tinged with a bit of sadness. Tom’s arm went around her waist as he walked her into the hotel and didn’t leave her until they reached her hotel door. His hands went to his pockets as they both shifted a bit nervously in front of one another.

“I had an amazing time, Tom. Thank you so much,” she said softly.

“Thank you for dining with me. It’s very lovely to have a beautiful woman to dine with instead of just myself.”

He was trying to get her to smile and it worked. It also made her blush. She then swallowed hard and fiddled with her room key in her hand. “I think I should tell you that I’ve thought about your proposal. And I would love it if you would show me around London for the next 11 days.”

She looked up and saw Tom grinning brightly, like a child who was about to receive a prize. “That’s… that’s great, fantastic. Would you like to start tomorrow?”

Emilia nodded, then stopped, hesitant. “Well, I was hoping to go shopping tomorrow. So if you would like to wait until the day after…”

“Oh no, definitely not. I’ll take you down to the fashion district,” he interrupted, his grin still blinding. “Then maybe we can grab some lunch and if it’s not raining, we can eat in the park?”

She couldn’t stop from smiling eagerly at the suggestion, “Like a picnic?”

“If you would like.”

“I love picnics,” she gushed. “That would be great.”

Tom laughed softly, “Well then … I’ll be here at nine then?”

Emilia nodded, “Perfect.”

He pursed his lips, just watching her for a moment that seemed to go on forever. Tom then stepped toward her, his hand featherlight on her arm as he leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek. Emilia swayed into him, wanting more.

“Good night, Emilia,” he whispered.

“Good night.”

With one last gorgeous smile, he was gone and Emilia found herself leaned against the closed hotel door, trying to catch her breath. She was also putting a lot of effort into convincing herself that this was not anything more than Tom being friendly to her. Yes, this wasn’t anything deeper than a man and a woman forming an acquaintance and becoming friends as they explored London. And she wouldn’t think of it as going any further than that.

That was when the door rattled with a sharp knock. Emilia’s brow furrowed in confusion. Looking through the peep hole again, she saw Tom shifting nervously before the door.

Without hesitation, she opened it, afraid something was wrong. But he looked up at her and smiled softly.

“Did you forget something?” she asked quietly.

Tom licked his lips, “Yes, actually I believe I did.”

He then gently took hold of her arm and stepped into the doorway as he coaxed her to him. His lips met hers and she was surprised more than anything. But as her body pressed into his and his arms went around her, Emilia melted against him, kissing him back.

Tom kissed like he spoke; slowly, carefully but very deliciously. Emilia wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped back into the room, encouraging him to follow. His arms tightened around her and he followed, kicking the hotel room door shut as he did. They continued walking further into the room as they kissed; Emilia had no idea what she was doing, only that she couldn’t stop kissing him, even if she wanted to.

Suddenly, the back of his legs his her sofa and lost his balance for a bit, falling backward onto the cushions. He laughed and she bit her lip nervously, looking down at him, wondering why he laughed.

As he looked up at her, the sound faded away and Tom shifted to the edge of the sofa, his long fingers slipping up along her calves and higher, up under the hem of her dress. Emilia’s breath caught and she shivered at the touch. Tom’s hands continued up a bit higher, until they were at the back of her thighs, and he carefully pulled her closer.

“Come here, darling,” he coaxed softly and she was sure she would do whatever he asked as long as he called her that in that tone of voice.

She moved forward under the direction of his hands and, her arms on his shoulders, she turned her body and gently sat in his lap. Tom looked very pleased by her movements, one of his hands moving slowly up her spine, the other slipping higher and higher up her thigh.

Emilia was looking down at him, watching his eyes follow the path of his hand up her leg. Finally, she put her hands on his face and turned his gaze up to her. Then she kissed him, needily she might add, but really who the hell cared? Her whole body tingled as they kissed and when he gently tugged on her bottom lip, she opened her mouth to him.

She lost all track of time as they lazily made out like they had nothing better to do than kiss and touch one another. Her fingers raked through his soft curls and down his neck as his hands glided along the zipper of her dress and her thigh and knee. Compared to her soft skin, his hands felt slightly rough, but it was a good feeling, one that made a simmering heat coil in her stomach. Her thoughts were scattered between concentrating on the amazing feeling of his hands on her and the feel of his lips against hers.

Tom’s hands tightened on her waist, and Emilia could feel every single one of his fingertips press into her skin through the fabric of her dress. Her forehead rested against his and they both breathed heavily, the air stirring in front of them. Her fingers curled in the hair at the nape of his neck, her fingernails gently scraping against his skin, and she could have sworn she felt him shiver against her body.

“You should tell me to go,” he whispered so deeply, Emilia felt like it set her blood on fire.

“Wh-why?” she stuttered a bit, worried for a breathtaking moment she had done something wrong.

Tom reached up and brushed her dark curls over her shoulder and then cupped her face, “Because if you don’t, then I will definitely stay.”

The way he said it made her swallow hard. Oh. Emilia stared at his face, the soft light from the lamp on the table casting a warm glow on his features, creating interesting shadows along the line of his jaw and the column of his neck. She swallowed hard and ran her fingers over the scruff dusted across this face. The sound of her skin against the stubble made her blood race; suddenly she wanted to feel the scrape of his 5 o'clock shadow on the inside of her thighs.

She didn’t realize that she had her bottom lip pulled between her teeth until he groaned softly and leaned back in, nibbling on the spot for her before kissing her gently, one of his large palms cupping the back of her head.

The kissing became heated again and this time it was Emilia who pulled back, her hands gripping the lapels of his dinner jacket. “Yeah… I think you’re right,” she whispered.

Tom licked his lips, his mouth still so close to hers. “Tell me, Emilia,” he breathed.

Dear Lord, that made her want to tell him something all right. But instead, she squeezed her eyes tight and said three words that shouldn’t have been so hard to utter. “Good night, Tom.”

He chuckled softly and pulled back just enough to make Em open her eyes to see what it was he was doing. “Okay, I’m going to go.”

When he stood, his hands took hold of her waist and helped her stand on her feet, though she felt wobbly when he did so. He was smiling at her softly and bent down to peck her lips once more before he straightened his jacket and headed to the door. She smirked to herself as she followed him - his hair was as askew as his jacket had been, but he didn’t take a moment to fix that.

As he turned back in the doorway of her hotel room to face her, he took a deep breath and fixed her with a serious stare. “I know we’ve just … we’ve just met really. And by my leaving tonight, we’re both deciding not to rush into this,” he started.

Emilia nodded and even though her body was screaming at her that rushing was good and to pull him back into her hotel room, she knew he was right. They had just met one another; they were doing the right thing here.

“But I have to ask you,” he dropped his voice and then reached forward and took one of her hands. “You feel this as well, don’t you?” He pressed her palm against his chest, right above his heart which she felt ramming like hers was. “This crazy yet wonderful feeling right here?”

She swallowed hard, her eyes moving to her hand pressed against the light blue of his shirt. She could feel his heart beat under the muscle there. She nodded, “Yes, I definitely feel that too.”

Tom let out a breath and smiled, curling his fingers around her palm on his chest. He stepped back inside to drop another kiss on her lips. “Good night, darling.”

“Good night,” she breathed.

Once he was out and the door shut, Emilia leaned against it for the second time that evening and sighed heavily. She then felt laughter bubble up within her and she put her hands to her face to try to quiet herself. Oh Lord, this was crazy. This was absolutely crazy. Did things like this really happen? It had to be some trick or something…

The soft knock on the wood made her jump slightly and Em quickly spun around to look out. Tom stood there once more. She smiled brightly and pulled open the door. When his eyes fell on her again, he smirked and crowded up against her in the doorway.

“Sorry, I just needed one more,” he said softly, bending down and kissing her slowly, languidly, as if he was perfectly content kissing the stuffing out of her into the wee hours of the morning.

When he finally left, Emilia felt like putty in her own skin. This was only the second day they had spent time together. With at least 11 more days ahead of them, she could only imagine what would happen next.


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day of shopping with Tom gets a bit interesting for Emilia...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm editing this on my own, so please excuse any errors.

Three

Emilia thought it was pure luck that it was bright and sunny the next morning. The city landscape outside her window was more than welcoming and she felt herself more than a tad excited to go shopping with Tom. She dressed in a simple pair of black leggings, a tan oversized sweater that stopped midthigh and pulled on her favorite brown heeled boots that went half way up her calf. Her makeup was simple and her auburn curls were pulled back in a low, loose ponytail that bounced as she made her way to breakfast downstairs.

She tried to occupy herself before 9 a.m., but it was a hard task. She texted Carmen, who would not be awake to distract her. Still, she quickly outlined the evening before to her best friend and then leaned back on her suite’s sofa, trying to not think about how great of a kisser Tom was. She sipped her tea and watched the morning news, tossing her phone to the other end of the couch so as to not glance at the time every five seconds.

It was hard not to be antsy, especially after her thoughts kept going back to the kisses they shared and how she wished - really, really wished - things could have gone further. But no matter how much her body screamed at her, Emilia knew the evening ended the right way. Not rushing into anything would make it so much sweeter between them - you know, if it did happen. She didn’t want to assume.

She lasted five minutes before she grabbed her phone again and pulled up the internet window. She googled “Tom Hiddleston” not really knowing what to expect and sincerely hoping she wouldn’t regret doing such. As the search loaded, she clicked on IMDB’s site because she thought that would give her the best sense of what Tom’s career had been like thus far.

As the page loaded, she saw a picture of him looking quite dapper in a grey suit apparently on the red carpet of some movie premiere. There was no smile on his face and he looked very serious. Like a different person; not the laughing, adorably dorkish Tom she met two days ago, the smiling one she kissed breathless in her hotel room the night before.

Emilia scrolled past the bio quickly and down to the movie list, hoping something would trigger a memory. _Midnight in Paris, Thor, The Avengers …_ she remembered hearing about Midnight in Paris once and wanting to see it, as it sounded a little quirky. But she had not found the chance to find it. She had seen the Marvel movies with Carmen, who had a huge Chris Hemsworth obsession and demand Em see what was so special about him. She had admitted to her friend she thought he was attractive, but not really her type. Emilia she clicked through the production photos and when she saw Tom as Loki, she pursed her lips and her brow furrowed. No … that wasn’t where she had recognized him from.

Her eyes widened as she read up the list. _The Hollow Crown._ Oh god, that was it! She remembered now, watching it last summer. She wasn’t very acquainted with William Shakespeare’s works, but she always admired his sonnets and the few plays she had seen. When she heard about the Hollow Crown series, she had made it a point to sit and watch all four of the renditions of the famous plays.

Tom had been Prince Hal, later King Henry V. Oh damn. _Oh damn._

Clicking back to the bio, Emilia sat transfixed by the screen. Most of the info about his schools and early career she already knew because she heard it from the source himself. He had mentioned to her his two sisters, that his mother had been a stage manager and that his dad was a scientist … he hadn’t told her his parents were divorced...

The knock on her hotel door jolted her from her reading and Emilia immediately closed out of the window and took a deep breath. She reached for her tea, taking a long drink to calm her nerves a bit, then went to the door. Tom smiled at her like she made his day, looking so different from the actor she saw on her internet window a moment ago. And the look he gave her had a way to make all the apprehension disappear. It was also a contagious look as she felt her face break into a grin as well. He was wearing another pair of worn jeans and a soft looking green shirt underneath a dark brown leather jacket.

“Good morning, Emilia,” he said as she gestured him in.

Her face flushed as he made sure to touch her waist and bend to kiss her before he walked fully into the room. “Good morning. Did you have breakfast already?” she asked just because she wasn’t sure what else to say.

“I did, thank you. Have you?” he asked, turning back to her.

She nodded and then they stood in front of each other for a silent moment. He might have not realized she noticed, but she watched as his eyes roamed over her, his hands in his pockets as he did so. Emilia was happy when, after he apparently had his fill of gracing her figure, his eyes turned back up to her face.

She smiled nervously at him, but decided the tension needed to be broken. Clearly neither one of them had done this before and since she was deciding to be more forward during her vacation, this was the perfect chance to trust her gut. Emilia slowly stepped toward him, holding his gaze with her own as she smiled softly. Tom licked his lips as she reached for his one of his hands and stepped right up in front of him. Even in her heeled boots, he had a few inches on her and she tipped her head up to gaze along the line of his jaw and over his lips, up to his gorgeous blue eyes.

Emilia then went up on tip top and gently pressed her lips to his, feeling him sway into her as she did so. Tom slipped his fingers between hers and pushed their palms together, his other hand coming up to cradle the back of her head as they kissed lazily. He tasted fantastic; a bit like peppermint and tea. Emilia was beginning to wonder if they could just stay inside all day.

When they had to pull away - Emilia’s lungs were burning for air - he chuckled very softly, an endearing sound that made Emilia feel good all over. “Feel better now?” she asked, squeezing his palm back.

Tom licked his lips, still grinning as he took her other hand as well. “Yes, but perhaps you should kiss me again, just to be sure.”

She giggled and leaned back up, kissing him again and finding herself sighing into him with utter delight. After a few more minutes of making out - Tom was having no rushing of any sorts - they pulled back just as breathless as they had been the night before.

“We should probably get going,” he mumbled, nuzzling his nose against hers in a tender action that caused her heart to seize.

“Okay.”

They took the Metro down to Chelsea and South Kensington. Emilia was a bit worried they were going so far out, but Tom told her it would be worth it in the shops and the fact it would not be as crowded as the touristy Oxford Street. Emilia briefly wondered if staying away from the tourists was for her benefit or his. But she didn’t say anything because she was too embarrassed to admit now she realized how famous he actually was. The tube they were in was packed, but no one seemed to notice them, and Tom kept his arm around her as they talked quietly. He warned her they would be walking a lot, as it would be nothing like America’s malls, with all the shops conveniently in one large building.

“Well, except for Harrod’s,” he said with a grin, his hand moving over to squeeze her waist.

Emilia had no problem with that and told him so. If he kept his arm around her like he did now or held her hand, she’d be happy to walk all over London … well okay, maybe not that much, but he was definitely making her feel foolish enough to make such a claim.

“We can  probably find a small park near by as well. Nothing as big as Hyde, but probably quaint. I thought you might like that,” he said softly in her ear as the car they were in emptied a bit at a station. “I hope you don’t mind. I can take you to Hyde Park another day if you wish.”

Emilia smiled and put a hand on his chest, “Tom, when I told you that I wanted you to be my guide, that meant that I trusted your decisions on where we were going. I’ll let you know what places I definitely want to visit, but other than that, I defer to your knowledge as a Londoner.”

He laughed softly, “Sorry. I must seem like a rambling prat to you. I just don’t want you to be disappointed in anyway.”

He was so cute, so adorably cute, she couldn’t stand it. She worried earlier she wouldn’t be able to reconcile Tom the actor and Tom the man from the cafe. In that moment, though, she realized it didn’t matter to her that the actor persona was a part of his life. She knew him away from the cameras and knew him just as a handsome, Shakespeare-loving, adorable man who for some reason, decided he liked her. And that was good enough for her.

She tiptoed up again and softly kissed him, not caring who else was around them. “Tom, you are not a prat and you are not disappointing me. You couldn’t even if you tried.”

“Now you’re just trying to sweet talk me, I think. With your pretty eyes and pretty lips,” he said lowly, his hand reaching up to drag a thumb across her bottom lip.

Emilia smiled, “Is it working?”

He chuckled again, the sound she had come to love over the past few days. “Yes, as a matter of fact it’s working a great deal on me. I dare say I’ll do anything you ask of me.”

That was a dangerous thought, indeed. She bit her lower lip in an attempting to keep from smirking as she continued to look up at him. He groaned softly and kissed her, apparently also not caring that they were surrounded by a large audience.

When their stop came, Tom took her hand and led her up to the street. The South Kensington fashion district was everything Emilia had always hoped and dreamed shopping in London would be. She always loved fashion and with her new job she now had the money to spend on what she wanted. Her addiction to shoes and dresses showed in her closet and her secret love of lingerie had taken up residence in her dresser. She had saved to enough to make sure she could go on a shopping spree, if she was so inclined. But as they headed down the streets, she started to wonder if it would be enough. All the shops looked fairly high-end.

“Now,” Tom started as she continued to just window shop as they slowly made their way down the sidewalk. “Don’t you pay any attention to me. Whatever store you want to visit, you go right ahead. I’ll follow you.”

“Well that’s not something I’m used to hearing,” she said with a smile. “Not that I’ve shopped a lot with men, but they are usually not so inclined to let me go where I want.”

He shrugged, “It’s your holiday and I’m here to make you happy.”

Heat flooded her face and as she didn’t really have an answer to that, she just squeezed his hand and went back to gazing at the shops. It took her a bit, but she finally did get the guts to tug him inside a store that had a gorgeous blue summery dress in the window. The prices were thankfully reasonable and she took a few to try on.

Tom waited patiently as she took her time. He even demanded to see her in the dresses once they were on her and offer his opinion. Which was always, “You look lovely in that.” But he said it with a teasing smirk, so she couldn’t help but laugh. She was wearing the blue dress from the window display when she couldn’t take his nonchalance anymore and put her hands on her hips.

“I can tell you’re going to be no help in offering opinions,” she said with a grin.

“Oh I can offer opinions a plenty,” he said, leaning back in the chair outside the dressing rooms and folding his long arms behind his head.

Emilia rolled her eyes, “You must like one more than the other,” she said.

“Why does it matter? It’s about what you love and what you feel the most beautiful in,” Tom responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, “Well, then, let’s just say that I _may_ want to know which one you like the best.”

Her eyes moved up his relaxed frame and met his gaze, trying to appear confident and nonchalant. Tom drew in a slow, deep breath, his eyes gracing over just as she had done him. “I don’t prefer either.”

Emilia laughed, “You’re hopeless. How can both be lovely but you don’t prefer one or the other?”

He smirked, “Maybe I prefer something entirely different from them.”

Her eyes looked around the store, “Then what in here do you prefer?”

When she looked back to him, he pursed his lips and slowly stood. Emilia licked her lips and tried to keep a straight face as he walked up to her, his hands moving to her elbows and then sliding up her arms. “Nothing,” he said cryptically.

She laughed, “Tom, come on, what are you talking about?”

He smirked and then put one hand on her waist, pulling her close, the other toying and pushing at the neckline of the dress. He leaned down to her ear, “I’d prefer you in a little less,” he whispered, his tone deep and gravelly as his fingers moved along her exposed skin.

Emilia’s breathing sped up and her skin broke out in goosebumps as his breath skirted across her ear and neck. Her brain nearly melted right in her head when he went a step further and placed a gentle kiss on her neck just behind her ear.

She swallowed as he pulled back. “I suppose I’ll buy the blue one then,” she got out, a little too breathlessly for her liking.

Tom chuckled softly and then kissed her lips. “I think that’s a great decision.”

It took her a little longer than she wanted to get dressed and to the counter to buy the dress. Tom smiled as if he had won some game or something and stood next to her as she paid, his hand on her lower back and his fingers tracing patterns lazily. When they walked back out on the street, Tom slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Emilia smiled and did the same to him.

They spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon this way, dodging in and out of shops. Emilia didn’t buy much except a blanket from a little shop for them to sit on in the park and a pair of jeans that made her butt look so good, even Tom didn’t have a teasing remark.

The two of them were debating on where they wanted to stop to grab lunch for the park, when Tom’s phone sounded in his pocket. After he pulled it out and looked at the screen, he gave Emilia an apologetic look. “I need to take this, darling. I’m sorry, it’s my agent,” he said.

She smiled and waved him off. “No worries. I’ll just wander down the street a bit, give you a minute.”

He smirked and then kissed the top of her head, “Don’t wander too far from me,” he said playfully and then answered the call. “Luke? Yeah mate. Uh huh…”

Emilia sighed as he moved away from her and then turned her gaze down the street. She made it past one shop, her mind more on Tom and his words from the dress store earlier than on what was in front of her. Her heart fluttered with the thought of what he could have been suggesting. But maybe she was reading too much into his teasing… but oh if he wasn’t teasing…

She closed her eyes and told herself to take a breath. No use in panicking herself. When her eyes opened, she saw she was standing before a lingerie shop, displaying gorgeous lace and satin items that practically begged her to come inside. Emilia worried on her lower lip and then looked down the street, seeing Tom looking at her as his phone was still to her ear. She smiled and waved at him and he returned the wave.

Okay yeah, she was totally going in the lingerie shop.

It smelled like flowers and something Emilia suspected was supposed to be associated with sexiness. She walked up to a few displays, seeing a few items she’d consider, but knew were not really her.

“Can I help you, love?” The sales associate was an older woman with a friendly smile who was just a bit shorter and had a bit more curve in her hips that Emilia did.

Emilia took a deep breath, “Well, I’m here on vacation, by myself, so I didn’t really expect to need any nice lingerie…” she started.

The woman smiled knowingly, “But you met a gent, didn’t you?”

Emilia nodded and gestured for the woman to follow her. The two walked to the large store front windows and Emilia pointed down the street to Tom, who was talking to his agent still, his hand in his jeans pocket as he paced a bit up and down the sidewalk. “That’s him,” she said.

“Oh well, look at you, love. Nicely done,” the woman said with a smile. “So, you’re wanting something to be prepared in case…”

“Yeah, I mean we just met a few days ago when he sat down at my table at a cafe. Now he’s taking me all around London and wow that sounds crazy out loud, but he’s really sweet and nice and … I’m rambling.” Emilia stopped and took a deep breath.

The woman gave a cute laugh and hooked her arm around Emilia’s and pulled her back into the store. “Come on, dear. I’ve got just the thing.”

Emilia hoped she really would.

“Now, what exactly were you thinking of wearing for your gent?” the woman, whose name tag read “Donna,” asked.

“Well,” Emilia looked at the ensembles they were passing, “Something classy, but still very sexy. I want it to help me be a little more confident because … yeah.”

“You should be proud of your body, girl, you’re stunning!” Donna said. “Now, do you prefer a color or just black?”

They had stopped before a selection of things that made Emilia wish she had a huge budget to just blow on pretty, soft, lacy things. “Well, black is my default. But I’ll take suggestions.”

“With your hair and complexion…” Donna rifled through a stand and then produced a mesh, form-fitting baby doll that looked as if it would hide and reveal just enough all at once. The cups of the lingerie were a dark green, overlayed with the black lace mesh that continued down the whole piece and ended in a ruffle which was the same dark green color. The back was open below the bra hook and just at the lower back were more dark green ruffles that bustled to cover her bottom.

“Oh, it’s gorgeous,” Emilia said, taking hold of the lingerie.

“Subtle but definitely sexy. Come on, let’s try it on!” Donna declared, and took Em to the back dressing rooms.

Emilia took her time getting undresesd and slipping on the lingerie. She was careful to dress with her back to the mirror because she didn’t want to judge her body as she was putting it on; she was pretty good at judging her body and didn’t want her silly negative thoughts to ruin this pretty lingerie before she put it on.

When she was finished, she slowly turned and came face-to-face with herself. “Whoa,” she breathed.

“Let’s see it then,” Donna said from the other side.

Emilia opened the door with a little hesitation, but she needed another opinion and the friendly saleswoman was the only one at her disposal. Donna literally pulled her out of the room and in front of the tall mirrors in the dressing room area.

“You look gorgeous, love,” Donna said with a bright smile.

Emilia for once broke no argument because … well she actually looked _good_. “I can’t believe how it even makes my ass look good,” she muttered as she turned to see the back of the piece.

Donna laughed, “You should be thankful for a bum like that, dear. Now try this one on.”

Emilia went through a few other suggestions before she picked a pretty powder blue halter babydoll to add with her sexy black and green lace one. When she had handed the second to Donna and asked her to add it to her bill, her eyes spotted Tom at the front of the store, curiously looking at a few pieces of lingerie. Her heart skipped, especially when he picked up some black, lacy one and licked his lips as he inspected it.

“Hey, Donna,” she said quickly before the woman could scurry off. “Could you do me a favor?”

Donna followed her gaze to Tom and then turned back to her, laughing. “Of course, dear. Just a moment.”

Emilia peeked anxiously from behind the dressing room door as Donna went up and said something to Tom. He made some gestures, which Emilia guessed were related to him describing her. Donna nodded, spoke and pointed back to the dressing rooms. Emilia hoped she wasn’t spotted staring as he looked toward her. But if he saw her, he didn’t give any indication. Instead he smiled and nodded at Donna, who then plucked the piece of lingerie from his hands and smiled like anything before she headed back toward Emilia.

“You, love, know how to pick ‘em,” Donna said with a grin that made Emilia think of Maggie. “He’s gorgeous. And has good taste.” She handed Emilia the piece of lingerie Tom had been looking at with so much interest.

It was a bustier, black and lacy with mesh running down the center. The bra cup was trimmed in white and there was cute white and black thong attached - Emilia had never liked thongs because of her weight and figure, but she could always find another pair a panties to wear with it. There were garter straps for thigh-highs and Emilia wondered if she could pick up a pair of those in the store too before she left.

She tried on the piece and had Donna give her opinion once more. The smile of the older woman told Emilia she wouldn’t be foolish at all buying the piece as well, so she handed it over. When she finished dressing and headed to the counter to check out, she smiled as Tom walked up, his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, everything okay?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah. He just likes to check in from time to time,” he answered easily. “So, find what you needed?”

Emilia felt herself blush as they both walked up to Donna at the register. “Yes, and more actually. Sorry to have made you wait. I get a little overzealous in lingerie stores,” Emilia said softly, feeling a tad embarrassed.

“Please, don’t apologize on my account,” Tom said, smiling as he leaned against the counter and put his hand to her lower back again. As Donna turned to wrap up her purchases, he leaned in closer. “I think I can really appreciate the items you bought in here … if you ever decided to be generous and wear them around me.”

Emilia laughed breathlessly, her heart jumping. She turned and looked at him, his face bright and his smirk full of bad ideas. _Play it cool, Em, play it cool,_ she thought. Licking her lips, she turned as Donna handed her the bag. “Maybe, if you behave yourself,” she quipped.

He stared at her for a moment before he let out a soft, boyish chuckle and squeezed her side, “I’ll do my best then.”

Donna came around the counter just as the couple were turning to leave and Emilia went back to hug the woman and thank her for her help.

“Don’t worry at all, love,” the older woman said before whispering in Em’s ear, “I added a few pair of lacy, cheeky knickers for you. On the house. By the look on his face, you’re going to need them.”

Emilia flushed, thanked her again and grabbed Tom’s hand, pulling him back out onto the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sorry it took so long for this update! I will have chapter 4 soon as well. Also I know the rating said lots of naughty times, but I wanted to establish their relationship first before just...throwing them into it. But I promise, after chapter 4, lots of sexy fun times will be had. :) Thanks you guys!!


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonnets in the park and dinner at Tom's flat make for a pretty perfect day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caution: smut ahead! Hope you all enjoy it!  
> Still editing this on my own, so please excuse any errors. Thank you all for reading!

Four

“So, have you quenched your bloodlust for shopping yet, or shall we break for lunch, darling?” Tom asked once they were back out on the street.

Emilia felt her stomach rumble slightly with the promise of food and looked up at him, “I think it’s time for food, definitely.”

So they picked a cafe, ordered food to go and enjoyed a cup of tea while they waited. Emilia felt like she asked too many questions about London and what they could do over the next couple of days. But if it annoyed Tom, she couldn’t tell. Once they had their food, he took her hand and lead her down the street. It took them about 10 minutes, but they eventually found a small park.

“Did you mean what you said that day at the cafe?” Tom asked suddenly as they walked along the path, trying to find a nice spot to set up their picnic.

Emilia smiled, “Which part?”

“About me not being over the top quoting Shakespeare and loving his works?”

She looped her arm through his and pulled herself close. “Of course I meant it. I think your passion for his works is fantastic, Tom. Why would you ask that?”

“I thought,” he started as if he was structuring his sentence very carefully. “Since we will just be relaxing this afternoon, I brought his book of sonnets to read.”

Emilia looked up at him as they continued and licked her lips, “You’re asking me if it’s okay to read me Shakespeare as we have a picnic in the park?”

“Well it just sounds foolish when you say it aloud,” he mumbled a bit.

She laughed, squeezing his arm, “No! No, Tom, it’s not foolish at all. I would love to hear you read the sonnets to me. It would be a lovely way to spend the sunny afternoon.”

This seemed to relieve his worry and tension greatly and he even dropped a kiss to the top of her head; a way of gratitude she thought briefly. Though she was sure she should thank him.

The two finally stumbled upon a spot that offered them a bit of privacy and lots of sunshine. Tom spread out the blanket and then they sat down and dug into their lunch, talking easily as they had the past few days. When they finished, Tom took out the book of sonnets, and shrugged out of his leather jacket. He then stretched out on the blanket, folding the jacket under his head like a pillow, and then began to thumb through the worn pages, which Emilia ventured to guess he had done dozens of times before.

“Ah, here we go,” he said softly, wiggling a bit in the spot to get comfortable, which made Emilia giggle. “Sonnet 23…”

“Did you mark these before hand?” she interrupted, sitting against his side and tucking her legs underneath her.

“I did no such thing. Now hush you,” he teased, clearing his throat and going back to the book.

_“As an unperfect actor on the stage_  
 _Who with his fear is put beside his part,_  
 _Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,_  
 _Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart;_  
 _So I for fear of trust forget to say_  
 _The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,_  
 _And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay,_  
 _O’ercharged with burden of mine own love’s might._  
 _O, let my books be then the eloquence_  
 _And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,_  
 _Who plead for love and look for recompense_  
 _More than that tongue that more hath more expressed._  
 _O, learn to read what silent love hath writ._  
 _To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.”_

When he finished, he looked up at her expectantly. For her part, Emilia was enamored by his voice; the way it flowed over the words with a practiced ease and in such a pleasing way. She didn’t know exactly what to say when he finished.

“Are we to discuss the meaning of it now?” she teased in an attempt to save face. She probably had drool on her chin, because really, Tom speaking Shakespeare was divine.

Tom chuckled, “No, darling. Just making sure I’m not boring you.”

“Definitely not,” she responded quickly and then dared to squeeze his thigh resting against her body. “Read another that you’ve marked in there.”

He stuck his tongue out at her and flipped the pages. And that’s how the afternoon went, Tom reading, Emilia watching and finding herself becoming more and more attached to him with each word that left his lips. After a handful of sonnets and discussion, Emilia moved to lay beside his warm body. Even though he was in the middle of a sonnet, he curled his arm around her and coaxed her to scoot up against him, resting her head on his chest.

The lull of the words, rumbling in his chest and in that low tone which warmed her from head to toe, made Emilia feel more relaxed than she could remember feeling in a long time.

_“...All days are nights to see till I see thee,_  
 _and nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.”_

“You’re not sleeping are you?” he asked when he had finished, his hand moving up and down the line of her spine.

Emilia turned her head, her chin now resting on his chest so that she could look up at him. His face was dusted with the shadow of scruff again, a reddish color that matched the endearing short curls on his head. His blue eyes were bright and looked at her with … well, she wasn’t sure what the look was. Definitely like … yeah, he definitely liked her …

“Nope, I’m wide awake. Do you want to leave?” she asked.

“No, unless you’re ready to, darling,” he responded, moving his hand from her back to brush a few stray strands of her dark hair from her face.

“Then read another,” she said with a soft smile.

He smiled and surprised her when he sat the book down on his chest and held her gaze. “This one you’ll know… Sonnet 18…”

_“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?_  
 _Thou art more lovely and more temperate._  
 _Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,_  
 _And summer’s lease hath all too short a date._  
 _Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,_  
 _And often is his gold complexion dimmed;_  
 _And every fair from fair sometime declines,_  
 _By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed._  
 _But thy eternal summer shall not fade_  
 _Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,_  
 _Nor shall Death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,_  
 _When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st._  
 _So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,_  
 _So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”_

When he finished, neither of them spoke; they just stared at one another, his hand resting on her lower back and her chin resting on him. Everything inside her was teeming and Emilia wanted nothing more than to drag him back to her hotel room right then and there. Instead, she swallowed hard and moved gently, working her way up to press her lips against his in a chaste kiss.

Well, it started out chaste anyway. As she pulled back, Tom placed a hand on the back of her head and brought her down for another kiss which was much longer, much deeper and made her moan against his mouth with want. At the sound, he shifted up a bit, the book of sonnets falling from his chest as he propped himself up on his elbow and dropped his other hand to her waist, hauling her body up against him.

Emilia, practically draped over Tom’s body, slipped her hands up his chest - his nice, well-muscled chest she might add - and ran her fingers into his hair. And they made out in the middle of the park. It was quite possibly the best afternoon she could ever remember.

~*~*~*~

It was some time after, when the sunlight started to disappear around clouds and then dip below the tall trees around them, that Emilia and Tom pulled themselves from the blanket, picked up their things and headed hand and hand back to the nearest Metro station. They didn’t talk much on their journey back, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was actually very comforting, to be able to feel so … so at peace in a person’s presence you didn’t have to say anything. Emilia worried that might be a bit deep for their short relationship, but things with Tom … they had been so different from the beginning and her gut told her that wasn’t a bad thing.

She needed different; really, _really_ needed different. And she was more than happy to let Tom be that “different.”

Dusk had settled over them as they approached her hotel and Tom hugged her close, his hand resting on her hip and two of her bags in his other hand. “Do you maybe want to come over to my flat this evening? I could cook you some supper?” he asked softly, still a little shyly.

Emilia smiled as they walked into the lobby. “I would love that, Tom. Just let me run my bags upstairs?”

“Sure,” he said, dropping a kiss on her lips before handing her bags over. She felt his eyes on her all the way to the elevator.

Upstairs in her room, a thousand thoughts swam through Emilia’s head. Should she pack a few things for overnight? Or maybe just a toothbrush? Well, that was assuming she stayed the night…

“Oh fuck it, I want to stay the night,” she muttered, running to the bathroom to grab her toothbrush and stuff it in her purse. Then she threw in her contact case and solution.

She put a few spritz of perfume on to freshen up and started to the door, but then stopped suddenly, catching sight of her lingerie store bag on her bed. Emilia licked her lips and thought what the hell. Quickly, she rifled through the bag, pulling out the form-fitting babydoll with green and black lace she had first tried on. Then she picked out a black pair of lace, cheeky panties Donna had tossed in extra and went to the bathroom to change. Seeing her figure in the mirror again gave her another boost of confidence. She was doing the right thing.

She dressed in her street clothes, grabbed her purse and headed back down to the lobby.

Tom’s flat was a little bit what she expected and a little bit surprising. It was very clean, had very modern decor and was quite open. Emilia really liked that - the open space, the windows looking out over the cityscape.

“Please make yourself at home,” he said kindly once they were in the door. He took off his jacket and hung it up on a hook near the door and toed off his shoes. Emilia smiled and did the same with her boots, placing her purse on a table near the door.

“I really like this,” she said as she ventured into his living area while he started turning on lights in the kitchen.

“Thank you. I haven’t really been here too much this past year, but it’s very nice to have a place to come home to,” he said as he washed his hands.

“I bet,” she said as she wandered up and glanced out the windows. London was absolutely enchanting and she was beginning to feel like she could live there forever and be content. Even more so if her and Tom … Emilia sighed and turned from the window. That was going too far too quickly. She wouldn’t let herself ruin what she had at the moment… it had to be enough to just be happy with how well things were going at the moment.

She walked back to the kitchen just as he started to pour two glasses of wine. “Do you want any help getting things ready?” she asked as he handed her a glass over the counter.

“Nope. You’re my guest, Emilia. I’ll take care of you,” Tom answered, adding a wink at the end which made her smile and blush.

“Fine, fine,” she said, turning back to the living room, sipping on her wine as she went to check out his DVD and music collection.

The stereo system was very impressive and when Emilia started the iPod he had setting in the radio, the soft tones of The XX started to play. She smiled, turning back to see him smiling at her from the kitchen as he worked. “You went and downloaded some music, did you then?” she teased.

Tom shrugged as he worked, “What can I say? A beautiful woman makes a suggestion to expand my horizons, I had to listen to her.”

She rolled her eyes playfully at him and then went to stretch out on his sofa, sipping wine and listening to the sounds of the music mingling with Tom moving about and cooking in the kitchen. It was so blissful. She marveled at him, how quickly he made them dinner and how incredibly delicious it was - she tried to help him three times, but he just kept denying her and refilling her wine glass. They sat at the counter of his kitchen, close together, as they ate and talked more. She absolutely loved talking with him. They talked about politics and books. About his movies and her writing, his two sisters and her younger one. His hand rested on her thigh and sometimes, she would intertwine her fingers with his.

When he started to clean up, Tom again refused her help. So Emilia just sat perched on her stool and watched him move. It was hard not to, with the way his muscles moved under his shirt, the way his jeans hugged his bum and thighs … She decided she really loved his shoulders, how broad they were … His hands were fantastic as well. Long fingers and wide palms she longed to feel on her skin.

The wine made her head feel light and her limbs warm. Also, it got rid of her brain to mouth filter. She licked her lips as he dried dishes and let her eyes wander over him. “I googled you this morning,” she blurted.

Tom chuckled, “I was wondering how long it would take you before you would.”

Emilia slid from the stool and slowly walked toward the living room, sipping her wine. “Your picture on IMDB is too serious; not like you at all,” she said.

He shook his head and leaned against the sink, crossing his arms over his chest, pulling his T-shirt tight and making Emilia want to peel it off him. “Well, I’m sorry to deceive you so. I’ll have to start being more serious.”

She grinned and finished off her wine, putting the glass on the counter. “You know, I thought I recognized you that day at the cafe. But I couldn’t put my finger on it,” she admitted.

He nodded, “Most don’t recognize me out of the Loki costume. Dark hair and all.”

“No, it wasn’t that. Although I saw the Avengers. No, I recognized you from the Hollow Crown series.”

That surprised him, which made her grin. “You watched the Hollow Crown?”

Emilia nodded as she headed back over to take in his amazing view. “Oh, I’m a PBS junkie. I thought you were fantastic as Hal and then as Henry V.”

Another endearing chuckle, like she continued to either amuse him or surprise him. “Well, thank you, darling.”

“But I did see Avengers too,” she pointed out again, leaning against the window.

“You make it sound like it was not by choice,” he answered as he came out of the kitchen toward her.

She shrugged, “I went with Carmen, my best friend. She’s a huge Chris Hemsworth fan. She demanded I see his muscles in all their glory.”

“And whose muscles did you enjoy more? Loki’s or Thor’s?” he asked, his hands in his pockets as he stood in front of her.

Emilia drew in a deep breath, looking him up and down again because damn, the man was just … so attractive. “Well…” she started carefully, pushing herself from the window and taking a step toward him. “Chris does have more muscles… or, rather, bigger muscles,” she said, reaching out and squeezing Tom’s upper arm.

His face balked as if he was offended and Emilia giggled. “Emilia,” Tom said softly as her other hand came up to squeeze his other arm. Because his arms were very nice. “Are you trying to cop a feel?” he asked.

She tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn’t muster it. Emilia looked at his face and busted out laughing, her hands falling from his arms as she turned away and took a step back. When she looked back to him, he was laughing at her too, following her as her body moved back to lean against the window again.

“Maybe I was,” she admitted through her laughter.

Tom took another step toward her, pushing her back into the window with his body. “Why didn’t you just ask, you silly girl?” he said with a chuckle.

Her laughter quieted a bit and she shrugged breathlessly, “I don’t know. I didn’t think you’d appreciate me taking advantage of you.”

He chuckled again, shaking his head, “You funny, gorgeous woman,” he said softly, his hands coming up and cupping her face. His hips pressed against hers and Emilia tipped her head up willingly, fisting his T-shirt as he leaned in and kissed her. She felt his fingers curl into her hair as the kiss grew heated quickly.

Tom pulled back, resting his forehead against hers and they both breathed heavily. When Emilia opened her eyes and looked at him, Tom’s gaze went from her mouth to her eyes and back again. His tongue darted out, licking his lips before he bit down on his lower lip.

Emilia groaned, her hands moving up to wrap around his neck. “Okay, that’s so sexy,” she breathed out loud.

He gave a breathless laugh and leaned in, nibbling on her lower lip, “You’re sexy. So, so, sexy, Emilia.”

She let out a soft moan and then pressed her lips to his again, tightening her arms around his neck and pulling him against her. He met her actions with a low groan as his hands fell to her waist, wrapping around her frame. Emilia felt like she couldn’t get enough of him; of his mouth, his hands, his body pressing against her. She gasped when his hands moved down and cupped her bottom, pulling her up off her feet. Nervousness raced through her as he pulled her up and pressed her back against the window, her legs wrapping around his narrow hips as he held her.

“Tom,” she started, worried about him holding her up as she wasn’t exactly thin and light as a feather.

“Hmm?” he asked, apparently distracted as his lips moved along her jaw and down her neck.

Emilia’s eyes fluttered close and she held tight to his shoulders, suddenly forgetting what it was exactly that she was going to say.

He laughed, his breath skirting across the column of her neck and she shuddered. “Focus now, darling,” he breathed, his teeth gently sinking into her skin. Heat shot straight through her and her fingers tightened in his hair.

“Tom,” she said again, her voice laced with a tone of want and need.

He grinned at her, “You already said that. But by all means,” He stopped to kiss her and mumble against her lips, “Say my name all night.”

The way he said the last part, dark and with a hint of demanding, made Emilia swallow hard and kiss him roughly. She wanted him so much, she couldn’t convince herself in any way that sleeping with him would be a bad idea.

Tom hitched her up in his arms and turned them, heading through the living room and down a hallway she had stayed away from earlier. It was dark through his flat, but luckily he knew exactly where he was going. She was surprised when her exploring of his scruffy jaw with her mouth was interrupted as he tossed her back on his bed.

Emilia giggled as she bounced and sat up on her elbows as Tom crawled over her, a sinful smirk on his lips as his hands moved up the outside of her thighs, along the curve of her hips and waist. Her breath was caught in her throat and she reached up, winding her arms around his neck again as she leaned back on the bed. His hands went next to her head, his arms holding himself over her as his knee parted her legs and rubbed against her center.

She gasped in his mouth, her fingers tugging on his hair hard. He hissed a bit and then smiled at her, leaning back down to devour her mouth. He quite literally stole the breath from Emilia’s body and she didn’t give a damn. Her hands became greedy, moving over his strong shoulders and down, clawing for the hem of his T-shirt and nudging it up his body, wanting it off.

Tom sat up and Emilia watched with fascination as he took hold of the shirt and tugged it up and off his body. She licked her lips, her fingers moving over his abs with feather light touches that made the muscles under his skin contract. Her hands moved down and took hold of the top of his jeans as he tossed the shirt back. Her fingers were undoing his belt and working open the button when he tsked at her.

“Quid pro quo, dearest Emilia.” His voice was dripping sin and bad intentions and Emilia moaned softly.

She was a bundle of nerves but still took hold of the edge of her sweater and pulled it off, wriggling a little awkwardly to get it off her. Tom chuckled softly and reached to help her out of it before he tossed it toward his shirt. His laughter then died as his eyes, wide and searching, took in what he could see of her lingerie.

“You changed before dinner, didn’t you, love?” he breathed, his hand skimming up her torso, stopping just under the curve of her breast.

Emilia pursed her lips and nodded, watching him as he took in the green and black lace. “Would you like to see it all?” she asked softly.

He smirked, “Have I been good enough?” he teased, bringing back their conversation from earlier.

She was so glad she had a few glasses of wine because it helped her let go of her nervousness and push against him, coaxing him to turn over. Her knees were on either side of his waist now, her body straddling his and she felt goosebumps as she watched his eyes look over her with the same want she felt for him.

“Well, I think so. But if you want to argue the point,” she answered cheekily as she put a hand on his bare chest, leaning down and kissing him.

Tom made a needy noise against her mouth as his hand slipped to the back of her head and gently pulled the hair tie out, her curls cascading down and falling over them like a curtain. Emilia tugged on his lower lip and then kissed his chin, down, his neck, over his collarbone and then down the center of his chest. He was breathing heavily now, watching her with dark eyes, his pupils wide.

After a minute she sat back on her heels, her palms moving over his skin as they looked at each other. She then smiled and slowly crawled backward and off him. Tom moved up to lean on his elbows, his tongue darting out to skim across his lips again as he watched her shimmy out of her black leggings, then toss them toward the growing pile of clothing in his bedroom.

And there Emilia stood, in her new lingerie, pursing her lips as she watched him stare. “Well?” she asked, trying to sound coy but feeling slightly nervous.

“Turn around?” he asked, voice deep, and she shuddered, complying with his wishes and slowly turned to show him the back of the lingerie.

She then looked over her shoulder at him. “So, was it worth the money I spent?”

“Come here, woman,” he said, a growl underlying his voice as he shifted to the edge of the bed.

Emilia tried to not smile too brightly at the rush she felt when he said that. She turned and walked up to him as he demanded. Tom’s hands went to her hips, sliding up over the lace, his eyes watching their movement before he met her gaze. She raked her hands through his hair, tilting his head back as she leaned down and kissed him slowly.

His hands moved down, over the bustled ruffles over her bum and then underneath, squeezing with both palms. She smiled against his mouth, still drawing out their kisses slowly, feeling like the most beautiful girl in the world - something completely new for her. Tom groaned again as they kissed, leaning back and pulling her with him. Her body moved with his, one knee moving to his side as her other leg draped over his.

“I’ve thought about this since I met you,” he whispered against her lips, his hands moving up over the lace again and then back down. He grabbed her ass and ground her center against his hardness trapped by his jeans.

Emilia moaned and rocked against him in response, her fingers curling in his hair again. “I can’t ever stop thinking about you,” she confessed.

Tom sat up again, bending his knee so she was straddling his thigh. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cupped his face and kissed him hard. She didn’t want to talk about it; he’d ask her if she was sure or say he didn’t want to pressure her. She knew he would because he was a good, decent man who would take her feelings into consideration. But she knew she wanted this and him.

He growled as she once again tugged on his bottom lip and wrapped his arms around her, returning her kiss fiercely. Tom rocked her against his strong thigh, which brought out a few unladylike noises from her; the sweet friction of the lace and his jeans, the muscle of his leg underneath… if he continued doing that she could probably come just like that.

His hands moved up and slipped the straps of the babydoll down as his lips placed heated kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Emilia tipped her head back and sighed as he slowly moved along, banking a hot fire deep in her. She breathed his name as he pinned her arms down with the straps of the lingerie and reached forward with one hand, pulling the cups of the lace down to expose her breasts.

Tom’s face was so expressive; though she loved to hear him speak, there was no need for him to tell her he was enjoying her body. The look in his eyes said it all. He pursed his lips and his eyes flickered up, meeting hers as he leaned forward and drug the flat of his tongue up one pebbled peak of her breast. Emilia groaned and pushed her fingers through her hair, guiding his lips back to her skin. He smirked and then closed his mouth over her nipple, sucking slowly as his hands spread up her back to hold her still against him.

A ragged gasp left her lips and she rocked against his thigh again. “Pl-please,” she breathed.

Tom paused and looked up at her, silently asking her what exactly it was she was begging for, even though the smirk told her he knew exactly what she wanted. Emilia licked her lips and shifted against him, “Don’t stop, please,” she begged.

His eyes darkened at the request and he pulled her close, his mouth covering hers as he turned them. Her back was pushed into the soft sheets of his bed now, his body pressing down into her as he continued to kiss her slowly. The slow heat in her was building, but not quick enough for her. Emilia’s patience was evaporating, and if Tom noticed, he wasn’t doing much to speed up.

Instead, his hands skimmed down her body, taking the lingerie gently with him. As his hands moved, his lips trailed down their own path downward; his tongue darted out and licked the patch of skin at the hollow of her throat. She pressed her thighs together, trying to find some friction as he gently bit her shoulder and then soothed away the ache with his talented tongue. She was sure now every time he’d wet his lips, she’d think about what he was doing to her now.

Tom had the lace babydoll down at her thighs and as his mouth once again found one of her sensitive nipples, his large warm palm slipped in between her thighs, pressing against her center. She moaned loudly; she was already so wet because of him, but those long fingers of his dipping into her folds was quickly undoing her.

“Seems your first orgasm will come easy tonight,” he said playfully, smirking against her skin as his lips moved down her torso.

“Oh, ha ha,” Emilia breathed, her hands fisted the sheets at her sides as his fingers teased her slightly. She was lucky she was able to give that response.

“Hmm, shall I skip the teasing then, darling?” he asked, his voice causing her to shiver. Lord, if she could ever come to just a man talking to her, Tom would be the one to pull it off.

Her eyes rolled back and her hips arched, trying to get him to play with her more. Tom’s soft boyish chuckle sounded in response. “Then again, maybe I should just see what happens when I …” He trailed off, his teeth sinking into the skin at her hip as he slipped two long fingers inside her.

Emilia leaned up on her elbows, squirming a bit as she gasped, “Tom!” a bit louder than she intended. He hummed approval against her skin, his tongue easing the sting his bite left. His fingers moved out and then back in again, stretching her a bit with their movement. She licked her lips, her breathing picking up, feeling herself spiraling toward a sweet release.

Tom looked up and met her gaze as he pressed his lips to the top of her thigh, his thumb making a slow circle on her clit and his fingers moving in and out. She moaned his name again, her head falling back. So close… she was right there…

His body moved up, his lips catching hers in another slow kiss. “Come, darling,” he breathed into her and she did.

Her body shook with it as the pleasure rolled through out her to every part of her body. It had been so long since a man had helped her to an orgasm and damn it all, Tom was so, so, so very good at it.

When Emilia came back to herself, tremors still shook her and her breathing was heavily. Tom grinned so mischievously, she wondered if he was channeling Loki. “Next one?” he asked cheekily, moving back off her and leaving her laying out on his bed.

She laughed breathlessly, “Do you have a set number for me to hit?” she teased.

“Hmmm, we’ll see,” was his only response as he pulled the rest of the lingerie off and tossed it away, looking at her sprawled out on his bed, naked and sated. “My God, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

Emilia tried to calm her breathing and ignore the flutter in her chest. “I’m not exactly …” she started.

“No, you’re … you’re perfect as is,” he interrupted, drawing in a deep breath as he leaned down. He nipped her other hip and Emilia couldn’t believe how amazing that felt.

He reached down and started to undo his jeans and belt, pushing them down as he watched her. Her eyes were on him, her legs pressed together and her hands gliding up the smooth skin of her side. Tom let out a long breath, licking his lips before he leaned back down and took hold of her legs, pulling her toward the edge of the bed.

Emilia laughed softly, then shivered as he pushed her thighs apart and knelt before her. His hands caressed up her thighs and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she was shaking with pleasure for the second time. She looked down at him in anticipation and Tom met her gaze for a long moment before he leaned in, kissing her center.

“Oh God, Tom,” she said, her head falling back and her back arching up. One of her hands slipped into her own hair as she put the other to his head, pressing his mouth against her harder. His lips curled around her clit and sucked gently, shooting sparks up through her body. Her body was moving and wriggling against his mouth - which holy shit was so talent she thought she might levitate off the bed. Tom curled an arm around her leg and then pressed his palm on her tummy just above her center. The pressure felt so delicious even though it kept her from moving.

His tongue and lips were taking turns playing havoc on her sensitive spot and her moans and language were getting worse. When he slipped his fingers back inside her and then curled up, her eyes rolled back. “Fuck, Tom, yes! Oh baby, just like that,” she rambled off, gasping and grinding her hips against his mouth.

His blue eyes watched her the whole time and Emilia couldn’t take it all. She was about to burst all over again. She tried to push him away. “I’m gonna…” She tried to explain she wanted to feel him inside her when she came undone again, but her voice left her.

But the look in his eyes said he wanted her to come just where she was and well, with him sucking her clit and his fingers curling up and hitting just the right spot, her second orgasm hit her and she felt like she came right out of her skin.

Tom’s mouth didn’t leave her as she shook and came down from her high. In fact, his ministrations didn’t stop at all and it all got so intense, Emilia desperately pressed him away, begging him to stop. He did, leaning back and breathing as hard as she was and sporting a grin full of male pride.

Emilia laughed and put a hand over her eyes, “Stop that,” she said.

“Stop what, love?” he asked and as she peeked through her fingers, she saw him lick his lips clean and then swipe the back of his hand across his chin. That made her groan.

“Looking at me like that,” she said.

“Mmm, sorry, I cannot acquiesce to that request, my darling Emilia,” he answered cheekily, leaning back down. His hand slipped under her thigh and lifted her leg a bit so his palm could fit over her bum. He kissed the spot where her torso joined her leg and then kissed up along her torso. “Besides, I’m far from finished with you.”

“I just had the two best orgasms of my life,” she said softly, a grin coming to her face. “What else can you do to me?”

“There’s a number after two. Several in fact. Let’s see how many we hit?” he growled low in his throat, pressing his mouth against hers.

Emilia wrapped her arms around his neck, tasting her on his tongue, and moaning against him. Her hands went down and pushed at his boxer-briefs. _Yes, let’s do that,_ she thought to herself, _So long as I get to finally feel you._

He pulled out of their kiss to reach down and help her push off his last bit of clothing. Her eyes immediately went to his erection and she swallowed. Of course he’d be packing, wouldn’t he? Oh, but she felt herself grow more wet at the thought of him sliding into her. When he stood and went to his bedside stand, obviously looking for a condom, Emilia sat up, waiting for him as he came back around. When he stood in front of her again, she couldn’t believe herself when she reached forward and wrapped her hand around his shaft.

Tom’s eyes rolled back and he sighed, “Emilia, careful, love,” he whispered.

“I wanna,” she started, but he gently took her hand off him and leaned down, tipping her chin up and kissing her deeply.

“Not tonight. I need to be inside you.”

Yeah, she definitely could come to just his voice.

He slipped the condom on and she shifted back on the bed, Tom following her. He kissed her tenderly as the head of his cock pushed just slightly into her.

“Go slow,” she whispered against his lips, her hands on his hips. He nodded and nudged her thighs open wider.

She was so wet from his work earlier and her two orgasms, he was able to slip in so easily, inch by inch. Emilia felt her breath catch and her pulse quicken again as he stretched her. When he was finally seated deep in her, they both sighed with pleasure. Though it was a bit uncomfortable at first, it did not take Emilia long to need the friction of movement.

Her hands went to his hips and urged him to move. Tom pulled back enough so that his eyes could gaze at her face as he pulled out some, then shift his hips back forward again. Her answering moan was obviously everything he needed to hear. His lips were at the column of her throat as he slowly started to pick up his pace.

She clung to his strong shoulders, feeling the power in them as he moved in and out, deliciously hard strokes that felt so much better than his fingers thrusting earlier.

“You’re so tight,” he whispered in her ear. “It feels so fucking good.”

His words caused a thrill to shoot through her. “Tom,” she breathed, “Harder.”

He grabbed her calf and hooked her leg over his hip, opening her in a different angle as he picked up the pace of his movements. As if that wasn’t enough, he continued to whisper in her ear; dirty things she would have never guessed he would say, but so sexy she didn’t want him to stop.

“I want you to come for me,” he growled, lips on her neck.

“I’m so close,” she breathed, her hands moving to his lower back and pushing him into her more. “Don’t stop, please Tom, don’t stop.”

“Fuck,” he said a bit loudly as she clenched around him, trying to bring her orgasm on faster. One of his hands disappeared between them and when his thumb circled her clit again, she let out a loud, ragged gasp. “Come for me like a good girl, Emilia.”

She was pretty good at taking his orders. Her body arched up and her thighs clenched around him as did everything else south. Her arms pulled her body to his as she cried out his name, everything going fuzzy for a moment as her orgasm rushed over her. Tom continued pressing in and out of her, his thrusts erratic. His release rushed through him just as quickly as hers had. He gave two or three thrusts into her willing body and when they both came down, they were a tangle of sweaty bodies.

Tom looked in her eyes and there was something there he wanted to say, but he never did. Instead, he rolled on his side, guiding her with him. They just stared at one another, slowly trying to calm their breathing. Tom was still seated inside her, and Emilia found she didn’t want him to interrupt the connection, at least not yet.

He pulled her close, one hand resting on her lower back as he looked into her eyes. The other hand took hers and curled his fingers through hers, their palms pressed together. Emilia couldn’t wipe the grin that slowly tugged at the corners of her lips. Not that she wanted to. Oh she wanted to say so much to him, yet nothing at all.

So instead, she held his hand, watched him watch her and said nothing at all. In this blissful state, she drifted off to sleep, wondering how long the euphoria could last.


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emilia lets her past haunt her and a misunderstanding threatens her time with Tom.

_**Five** _

Emilia woke with a start. She was lying on her stomach and pressed her palms into the unfamiliar bed, her head rising up to look around. Slowly, her brain caught up with her body and she realized she was naked in Tom’s bedroom, wrapped up in his sheets.

The only problem was Tom was not in bed naked with her.

_God, maybe I dreamed it all_ , she thought, her brain beginning to imagine horrible scenarios where she had too much wine to drink with dinner and began to throw off clothes randomly. She shuddered at the thought. She slowly turned over and sat up, clutching the sheet close to her chest as she looked around the dim room. It was cloudy and dreary outside, raining tapping the windows sporadically.

Emilia looked about the room and felt a rush of relief that some of Tom’s clothes were mixed with hers. So, it was real, the night before. When he brought her to three amazing, shuddering orgasms and then held her while she slowly succumbed to sleep. Then he overloaded her with pleasure again when she woke up in the early morning to the feeling of his lips moving along her shoulder and the sounds of the city waking up around them.

There was nothing needy or rushed in those early hours. It was slow and delicious; lips moving over skin and hands memorizing the details of each other.

But it concerned her a bit now that he wasn’t there. Old fears made themselves known quickly. Maybe he regretted it? God, she didn’t want to think that … not after all that, all he did to her. Swallowing hard, she held the sheet up to cover her and moved to the edge of the bed. That was when the sound of running water reached her ears and Emilia let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. So he was still there, just in the shower.

She licked her lips and forced herself not to panic. Panicking Emilia was not on this vacation and she was going to do her all to make sure it stayed that way. That was the point, after all, for coming all the way to London on her own. Carmen had said it best; it was time to live her life unafraid of the consequences. _But still_ …

After a moment, Emilia shook her head, trying to find her rational self. She stood and walked over to his dresser, picking up one of his button downs draped over the piece of furniture. She shrugged it on and then carefully made her way to the bathroom, her feet padding noiselessly on the floor.

As she walked into the room, which was already fogging up with the steam from the shower, she heard the faint tones of music coming from a nearby stereo. It was a Bon Iver song, tones low and soothing. The faint guitar strummed as the words mixed with the melody. Tom was singing along, very softly, and Emilia stopped in her tracks, watching him.

_“Solace my game, it stars you  
_ _Swing wide your crane  
_ _Swing wide your crane and run me through.”_

His body was turned from her and the fogging glass obstructed her vision, but something in the way he stood and moved - the way he quietly sang the song - made her feel uneasy, like something was the matter. Testing her luck, Emilia moved into the room, shedding the shirt as she did so. Her hand gently pulled open the shower door as he turned to face the water raining down and cascading over his skin, creating rivulets she wanted to trace with her fingers.

_“And the story’s all over  
_ _In the morning, I’ll call you  
_ _Can’t you find a clue  
_ _When your eyes are all painted Sinatra blue.”_

When she closed the door, it made a soft click, which caused Tom’s head to turn sharply, the words of the song dying on his lips as his eyes widened at seeing her. “Emilia,” he said in a surprised tone that made her want to step right back out of the shower.

“I thought you might like some company,” she said shyly. “Should … should I have knocked?”

She watched as Tom swallowed hard and then turned back to the water, letting it splash on his face for a moment before he turned to her again. “No, definitely not, darling,” he said, smiling softly and holding out an arm to her.

Emilia walked cautiously toward him and let him wrap that arm around her naked waist, drawing her close to his warm, wet skin. He positioned her under the spray of the water and she shivered a bit as it warmed her chilled body. His hands moved up the expanse of her back and his lips placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, not her mouth.

She stared at the spot where his neck gave way to his shoulder and couldn’t help but feel like as close as they were last night, they were far apart that morning. He had taken a big step back from her. Desperately, she racked her mind, trying to find the moment where she would have pushed him away, where something was uttered or done that would make him seem so distant now.

And there was Panicking Emilia, gnawing at the front of her mind. She wrapped her arms around his narrow waist, the water falling over the both of them as she pulled him to her. She wanted to feel the closeness she felt the night before, the rightness of his body against hers. It seemed like it was slipping away.

Emilia pressed her lips to the hollow of his throat and Tom sighed. “Are you okay?” she asked softly, cursing that her voice shook with her nervousness.

“Of course I am, love,” he said, smoothing a hand over her wet hair. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

_Because you might be wishing you had never slept with me,_ Panicking Emilia screamed in her head.

Emilia kept the words down and didn’t answer him; she only rested her cheek against his chest. If she could just keep it together for the moment, she could dress after the shower, kiss him goodbye if he would allow her that, and continue on with her vacation. She could forget Tom and his boyish laugh, his searching eyes, rough palms and love of Shakespeare.

“Emilia?” he asked, but she pulled away and turned her back to him, allowing the water to soak her before she grabbed for the bar of soap and began to run it over her skin.

When she didn’t answer, she felt his palms tentatively slip down her back to come to a rest on her hips. As the water washed away the soap suds from her skin, Tom slowly turned her so she faced him. His face looked so confused, hurt even, but Emilia clenched her jaw and swallowed hard to keep a straight face.

“Yes?” she asked.

The sad tones of  “Casualty” by Kopecky Family Band began to filter through the air now and she wondered why he was playing such sad music that morning. _Probably because of you and the regrets he feels now_ , Panicking Emilia said. She shouldn’t be surprised, this was how it always went … the regret, the disappointment, being unworthy…

_“My mother prays my soul to keep,  
_ _Maybe someone heard her plea,  
_ _The shameless stride the bells will ring  
_ _Always what will be will be  
_ _A missing link?  
_ _I thought I’d be all alone,  
_ _And now I’m shackled from the feet,”_

Tom curled a few fingers under her chin and tipped her head up to look at him. He leaned forward a bit, and, with a flutter in her heart, she thought he might kiss her. But he stopped, looking in her eyes. She watched as little crinkles formed next to his gaze and a frown pulled down at his lips. Whatever he saw, he dropped his hand and then kissed her forehead briefly. “Nothing. Here, let me get your back,” he said.

They showered and then toweled off. It was nothing like she thought or hoped the morning would be. Tom brought in her clothes from the night before and then disappeared into his room to apparently dress. Emilia felt like a foolish little girl as she pulled on her sweater. After she got dressed, she sat on the edge of his bed, listening to him moving about in the kitchen.

It seemed so silly now; she should have known this thing between them wasn’t what she hoped for. This wasn’t “Roman Holiday” and she sure as hell wasn’t Audrey Hepburn. For as nice as Tom seemed, apparently he got what he wanted and was now ready for her to be out of his life with as little drama as he could get away with … Foolish, foolish girl.

Taking a shaky breath, Emilia stood and made her way back out to the living room and then over to the door, slipping on her boots and grabbing her purse. Tom was still busy placing a pan on the stove, fiddling with the electric tea pot when she walked up to the counter and sat her purse down.

The noise of her movements caused him to quickly look over his shoulder at her. “So, what would you like to do today?” he asked quietly.

Emilia took in a deep breath, gripping her purse, “Actually I think I should head back to the hotel.”

He moved over to his fridge, taking out a small carton of eggs. “Okay, we can do that. Let’s have a bit of breakfast then…” That was when he finally turned completely and faced her. At seeing her with her purse in hand, his brow crinkled again. “What’s this?”

Emilia swallowed hard and looked down at the purse. “I’m just going to go. It’s been … it’s been lovely, Tom. Thank you for everything.”

She turned away, pulling the strap of her purse onto her shoulder as she started for the door. She heard him put the eggs down and quickly come around the counter. “Wait… you’re leaving?”

“I don’t want to keep you anymore than I have.”

“Emilia, I don’t understand.”

She stopped and turned around, her emotions welling to the surface. She threw her hands up in the air, “That makes two of us, then.”

Tom swallowed hard and looked down, his hands fiddling together in front of him nervously. But he didn’t say anything to argue her point, which made the sting of his actions hurt even more. Emilia drew in a deep breath and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Look, I don’t know what I did or if…” Here she trailed off because she was about to voice her suspicions and if she were right, she really didn’t want to hear his answer. Her pride and really her heart couldn’t take it. Foolish, foolish girl….

“If last night was just completely terrible and you’re afraid I’m too attached already or that I’m some crazy girl who wants to elope with you and have five babies at this point, get a house in the country…”

Tom finally looked up at her, a soft crooked smile pulling at his lips. “You’re rambling,” he interrupted her, his voice sounding almost as if he were fond of her.

Last night it would have been endearing. Last night she would have melted and ran into his arms, kissing him. Now, she felt her hurt turn to bitterness. She turned a glare at him, “And all morning you’ve been acting like I did something wrong, like it’s a chore to even kiss me.”

Tom sighed, twisting his hands more in front of him. “You haven’t done a thing wrong. Emilia, you’re a great girl…”

Oh how many times had she been told that? That there was always something missing. “You’re so nice, Emilia, but …” “Oh you’ve got a prettiness about you, Emilia, but…” “You have some talent, Emilia, but…” There was always something that didn’t make her good enough.

Emilia prayed the tears in her eyes wouldn’t fall. She held up her hand to stop him. “Don’t, okay?” She took a deep breath. “Honestly, thank you for the past couple of days. I really did enjoy it.”

Tom took two quick steps toward her, what looked like panic in his face, “Emilia, please, wait. Just let me finish…”

“Goodbye, Tom.”

She headed out the door as quickly as her feet would take her. He called after her, even followed her out into the hallway, but Emilia slipped into the stairwell and disappeared out of the building. She was in a cab and down the street before she let the facade crack just a bit. The rain was beating on the windows and the noise helped cover up her quiet tears.

~*~*~*~

There were times in Emilia’s life she knew why she couldn’t be like Elizabeth Bennett in Pride & Prejudice or Emma Woodhouse. She couldn’t be like Julia Stiles in “10 Things I Hate About You,” or Sandra Bullock in “Two Weeks Notice” or Drew Barrymore in “Never Been Kissed.” She wasn’t like the women she read about, the ones that would stand up for themselves, take risks, get the guy and the job by the end of the two-hour movie or four-hundred page novel.

Emilia wasn’t like those women because she didn’t want to be the heroine of her own story. It was just that simple. It was odd, who wouldn’t want to be the hero in their own life? But that’s just what she had come to believe. If she had wanted to be her own heroine, she would have taken that job all the way out in Seattle after college, not slink home to her parents to hear about how wasted her degree was. She would have told her editor after a year that she deserved some respect because she was a great writer, not his secretary.

But it didn’t matter in the end, or that’s what she’d always told herself to hold the tears back; to mask the pain. And that’s what she told herself now. In the end, the past three days with Tom wouldn’t matter; they would fade away and she’d remember London for all the things she was about to do … not the things she did with him.

Back in her hotel room, she felt exhausted. She chalked it up to walking the day before and left it at that. The rain continued, its onslaught increasing as it plummeted against the windows of her room and down to the streets of London. Emilia caught up on a few emails, ignored her texts from Carmen and then decided the smell of the soap on her skin was something she couldn’t tolerate anymore.

She undressed, ignoring her phone ringing from the bed, folded the sweater and leggings up and then placed them in a bag to be dry cleaned by the hotel staff. Under the hot water of her own shower, Emilia wondered what in the hell happened. She hated feeling so … lost on it. But no. She couldn’t think of it anymore. What was done was done. It happened, she had learned the lesson and it was time to go back to being good little Emilia, quiet little Emilia.

As she scrubbed her skin with her own body wash, trying to forget the feel of Tom’s hands doing the same to her skin that morning, Emilia contemplated getting a flight back home early. Then she thought that was being overdramatic.

Her mind raced with all these thoughts and if the panicking side of her could feel any kind of happiness, she imagined it would be filled with glee at the chaos in her mind now. Emilia wrapped her body in one of the large, fluffy hotel robes and plopped down on her bed, listening to the rain. Her phone buzzed somewhere beside her and, glancing over at the clock, she imagined it was her mother calling to make sure Emilia wasn’t dead yet.

As her mother was the last person on God’s green earth she wanted to speak to, Emilia ignored the noise and closed her eyes, wondering if she could get away with spending one day of her trip asleep. It _was_ really gross and raining out…

Eventually her phone grew quiet and Emilia took a deep breath to fill the silence. Just as her eyes began to drop, there was a sharp knock on her door. She groaned. Surely it wouldn’t be housekeeping that late in the morning.

The knock came again and she was contemplating staying there and letting the housekeeper come in, then quickly leave in slight embarrassment. The knock sounded a third time - even more impatient. Emilia stood up and, closing the robe tightly about her body, made her way to the door. She didn’t even bother looking through the peep hole. She just grabbed the handle and tugged open.

“I’m sorry, no I don’t want housekeeping right now…” she said and then stopped short.

Her eyes went wide as a drenched Tom shifted on his feet before her.

When he looked up at her, his blue eyes rounded in surprise as well and she clutched the edge of the robe closer to her. “Emilia,” he said, his voice catching.

For all the thinking she did earlier, not a damn thing came to her brain in that moment. She just stared at him; jeans soaked and clinging to his thighs, his white button down - which she had worn earlier - tight over his chest and completely see through at that point. His curls stuck to his forehead and he was breathing like he had run a marathon.

“Tom,” she breathed, trying to cling to some form of English. “What are you…”

“Why wouldn’t you let me finish? You didn’t let me say what I wanted to, so … I came to tell you,” he blurted out.

Emilia sighed, “Look, you don’t owe me any explanation or anything…” she started. Because really, her heart couldn’t handle him saying, _“Everything was great, Emilia, but…”_

Tom groaned in frustration and ran a hand through his wet curls, “I know that, but …” He looked down the hall as a door opened. “Can I at least come inside to speak with you?”

She licked her lips, every rational part of her brain telling her the smart thing to do would be to ask him to leave. Instead, she opened the door wider and stepped aside to let him in. He said a quiet thank you and unlike the last time he came to her room, he walked right past her.

Emilia closed her eyes and started a silent mantra as she shut the door. _I will not cry in front of him. I will not cry in front of him…_

“Why did you leave? Why did you run out like there was a damn fire or something?” he asked her when she turned back to face him. Gone was his calm demeanor, replaced by a very serious face and a pissed off tone, his eyes almost a different color as he stared at her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, determined to hold her ground, “Really?”

Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair again and then down over his face. “All right, that … that was unfair. Especially after my attitude this morning, which was a mistake. And I’m so sorry for that, Emilia, you must believe me I am.”

“If you wanted a one-night stand, Tom, you should have just been upfront about it in the beginning,” she breathed silently, finally telling him what she feared he was about to say anyway.

“Christ, Em, I didn’t want that! I would have never just wanted in your knickers then send you on your way.”

When she didn’t say anything to that, he pursed his lips. “I stepped back, and I shouldn’t have. I should have been honest instead of just attempting to be so nonchalant. But, Emilia, darling…” He stopped and looked at her, his eyes pleading and his voice holding a tone of desperation. “I’m really falling for you. Completely and … it’s the most irrational thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. For four years now, I’ve been all over the place like mad. I’ve done theatre and movies and pressers and I’ve traveled all over the world. I’ve gone from being unknown to having people waiting hours to see me, to hearing crowds scream my name. Women hand me their numbers left and right, grab at me, beg for autographs … it’s a huge culture shock.”

He paused and shook his head, “When I came back home, I just wanted calmness, peace. Solitude. Then I saw you in that cafe and damn it all, I asked to sit with you.” He laughed a bit, like he thought he was crazy for letting the words spill from his mouth. “It was like Romeo and Juliet, which sounds completely mad, right? That doesn’t happen in real life, seeing someone across a room and sharing a dance or a cup of tea and realizing you don’t want to stop looking at her, or laughing with her or discovering new things about her every day. You don’t just kiss a girl and think ‘I want be the only person she kisses from this moment on.’ It’s irrational and…”

Emilia had a hand to her chest, feeling like her heart was going to burst right then. “You’re rambling,” she said softly, interrupting him like he did her back in his flat. When he stopped and looked at her, she gave him a soft smile, tears in her eyes.

Tom let out a long breath, his face scrunching up cutely before he laughed softly. “I am, aren’t I?”

His large palm scrubbed the back of his neck and she found words were lost on her. After a moment, he held his arms out, “I don’t know how else to say it, Emilia. Three days and I feel so drawn to you, so attached… it’s fucking terrifying. The most terrifying thing I’ve ever felt in my life, but I want to trust it.”

She wet her lips and turned her eyes away from him because she couldn’t take it. Panicking Emilia was working her way up and settling on her chest, ready to whisper horrible things into her ear. But then something strange happened. As if sensing her panic, Tom stepped forward, taking hold of her hands and drawing her eyes back to his face.

“I meant it, what I said two days ago, about that feeling, right here.” He placed her palm over his heart. She felt his chilled skin through the wet shirt and his heart thumping against his chest.

“It’s completely insane and exhilarating and frightening and amazing and … I don’t want it to end, Emilia. I don’t want to let it go. I don’t want to let you go.”

Emilia shook her head, looking down at her hand on his chest, “Tom, this is crazy…”

“I know, I do. That’s why I stepped back. I was prepared for you to want to leave this morning without another thought, even though it hurt like hell to think it. And in the shower, I thought you didn’t want more than some holiday romance; that you would go back to the states and forget me. I was afraid to tell you and you think I was some nutter.” He paused to lick his lips, “But you feel something too, don’t you? That look this morning was you trying to hide it was well, right?”

The way he asked it, sounding so vulnerable, like she had felt all those hours ago. And she knew to say anything other than a yes would be a lie. Because she did feel it; she felt drawn to him, wanting to peel back all the layers of who he was and feel honest and open with him. She swallowed hard. “Yeah… yeah, Tom. I feel it too.”

He let out of big breath of relief, squeezing the hand not resting on his chest. That boyish laugh left him then and, with a smile, he leaned in and kissed her. It felt like she had been dying of thirst and now his kiss was quenching her need. He stepped up into her, wrapping his long arms around her and pulling her warm body against his chilled skin.

She felt everything in his kiss; everything she had hoped she wasn’t feeling alone, the things she tried to ignore during their short time together. Her hands cupped his face, and she shivered - not completely sure if it was because of his skin or because of the feelings teeming in her.

“You need to get out of these wet clothes,” she breathed against his lips as she felt her cheeks flood with warmth. She was trying to find some solid ground because he was making her dizzy and she couldn’t think straight. He moved his mouth along her jaw, his hands moving down and cupping her bum through the robe. She moaned, “We’ve got to get you warm,” she breathed.

Tom groaned against the column of her neck. He took hold of her and lifted her up, perching her on the computer table sitting against the wall. “Then warm me up, Emilia,” he said softly, stepping up between her open legs and gliding his palms up the top of her thighs under her robe.

Emilia watched him closely as his eyes followed his hands up, his fingers gently tugging open her robe to reveal her body naked underneath. Tom lick his lips and then heaved in a great breath, looking up into her eyes. She reached forward, cupping his face in her hands again. There was still something in his eyes he wasn’t telling her. “Tom,” she breathed, almost like a question.

He leaned his forehead against her, his large palms coming to her waist. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt warm, Emilia. But I feel it with you. I feel like a real person when you laugh, your blue eyes wide and warm.” His hands moved up the curve of her hips, up her torso, cupping her breasts. She let out a soft gasp, his palms chilled against her skin. “I feel like me when you say my name, when I’m deep inside you,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her earlobe between his lips and sucking gently. His hands massaged her breasts tenderly, thumbs flicking over her straining nipples. He pressed into her center, his erection pushing against his wet jeans - the sensation against her was incredible.

Emilia wrapped her arms around his neck, hands disappearing in his wet hair. “Tom,” she whimpered, anchoring herself to him, her need for him making her incredibly vulnerable.

“Let me have you again.” His plea in her ear was a seduction. “I need to feel that warmth; only you have been able to give it to me.”

She felt an ache in her heart at his words because he made her feel too; feel so much she was complete and scattered all at once. Never had a man made her this way and never had she felt something this deep so quickly. She prayed - prayed with all her might - he wasn’t lying or just using pretty words to lure her into throwing her heart into this affair.

Emilia pulled her face back to search for the truth in his blue eyes. She wanted to trust her gut, trust her heart… to trust him…

Suddenly, Carmen’s voice was in her head. _It’s about time you did something like this. You are always doing what everyone else tells you is the right thing to do. It’s about time you made your own decisions and handled things yourself._

As the seconds ticked by, and Emilia warred with herself, Tom’s face started to crumble. His hands dropped from her chest and he pursed his lips, casting his eyes down from hers. “Well then…” he said softly as he drew in a breath and rubbed his hand over his mouth. He then swallowed hard and looked up at her with a forced smile. “Emilia, it’s been a pleasure.”

Emilia’s heart dropped as he took a step back, obviously taking her silence as a rejection. She reached out, latching onto his arm and pulling back desperately. “Wait, don’t go!” she cried out softly.

Tom turned easily back to her and pressed against her, his long arms coming around her. “Thank God you said that,” he said before he pressed his mouth to hers.

She parted her lips under his without hesitation, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth and stroke her own. A sigh left her, disappearing into him and he took it greedily, his hands skimming down and underneath the robe again, finding a familiar place on her hips. Their kissing wasn’t frantic or desperate, but it was searching; a tender discovery. Emilia found a pleasant comfort in that.

Slowly, her fingers worked down the buttons of his shirt and her palms quite literally peeled the fabric back off his skin. The expanse of his shoulders and his arms were a distraction which had her pulling out of the kiss to run her gaze over those particular features.

The shirt landed on the floor with a wet thud and she watched goosebumps appear on Tom’s skin as the air hit him. Emilia raised her palms, moving them up his arms, over his shoulders and down the front of his chest, hoping to warm him as he had asked her to. She felt his eyes on her, but she let her hands continue down without interruption. Tom was apparently content staring at her as she worked, allowing his hands to rest upon her naked thighs. Emilia felt her cheeks warm with a little shyness and she tucked some of her wet hair behind her ear as her hands tugged at his belt.

Tom’s hands began to apply a bit of pressure, gently massaging her skin and the soft action caused a heat to slowly kindle to life between her thighs. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead as she worked open the belt and then his jeans, pushing them down. The fabric stuck to his skin, which made her task difficult. She laughed nervously and Tom let out a soft chuckle, making her feel better. That laugh made her feel like things were okay. They were okay, together in this moment.

Tom kissed her softly and then pulled back a fraction to rid himself of the last bit of his wet clothing. Emilia’s breath caught at seeing him naked again; his shoulders and arms strong, his narrow waist waiting for her legs to wrap around him…

He stepped back up into the embrace of her thighs and gently kissed her upper lip, his eyes open and focused on her. The blue irises were touched with a lovely light green, creating a color Emilia didn’t think she had ever seen before. The look was very intimate and now _she_ shuddered. Tom’s hands slowly cupped her face now and her eyes fluttered close as he deepened the kiss.

The feeling of his hands moving down her body as she kept her eyes shut was intoxicating. They skimmed down her neck, parting ways at her shoulders. Slipping underneath the robe, he slowly undressed her, his chilled hands pressed against her warm skin. She sighed into his mouth again, despite the coldness of his skin.

Tom took the robe off her and, leaning forward into her, broke their kiss to spread it out behind her like a blanket. When they faced each other again, eye level, he took his hands up her thighs and then to her waist, touching her like a treasure. It made her heart race; she was nearly drowning in her want for him.   

“Emilia… I could never tell you enough how beautiful you are,” he said reverently, his eyes meeting hers as he spoke it.

“I haven’t had a lot of that in my life,” she admitted and then cringed at the confession.

Tom’s eyes softened and he moved a hand back to cup her head gently. His other palm on her hip, he leaned his body into hers, coaxing her to lie back on the table as he brushed his lips against hers. “I’ll tell you every day, every hour,” he whispered.

Her chest tightened at his words. She was propped up on her elbows as he leaned against her and kissed her softly. “I’ll tell you everything I love about your body,” he continued, pulling back and squeezing her hip with the hand resting there. “Lie back, darling.”

Emilia couldn’t catch a full breath it seemed. She did as he said as he disappeared for a moment. He came back with a pillow from her bed and propped it under her head so she could see him. Then he was back in front of her, his large palms on her thighs to gently tug her a bit closer to the edge of the table. They were staring at one another as his hands coaxed her legs open wider and he slowly skimmed his fingers up her inner thighs. The touch was soft and lovely, making Emilia’s heart flutter.

“Your skin is delicious,” Tom started, his fingers inching closer to her center. He stopped just where her thighs met her hips, the pads of his fingers stroking the soft skin there. Emilia swallowed hard, feeling incredibly wet already; his soft words, his eyes and his body alone making her practically beg with a need for release.

Eyes on her, he lazily stroked her skin, inching closer and closer to her center. Then, finally, the fingers of one hands began to lightly move up and down her folds, just on the outside. Emilia’s breathing had grown shorter as the teasing coaxed her into a frenzy. She looked up and met his gaze as he finally dipped the tip of one finger into her. She pulled in a sharp breath at just that light touch and her anticipation for more.

His smile was endearing, yet the corner of his mouth turned up just a bit in mischievousness. “And that… you’re so responsive to me, to just the barest of touches.” He paused to slowly push the finger in her deeper and then pressed down, causing her to quietly pant out a breath as she felt the stretch. “Do you know how intoxicating that is? To know it’s me that makes you writhe like that, gasp like that?” he asked, his tone deep and rough.

“Tom,” she whimpered again because she did not know what else to say. It was a plea because she needed him. She needed to feel connected, needed to feel like she wasn’t drowning alone.

His finger continued to play her like an instrument as he bent down and cupped his mouth over her, sucking on her clit. Emilia fisted the robe at her side, gasping again as it felt like all her blood rushed to her center. Another one of his long fingers slipped into her and she bit down on her lower lip as he pushed down again, moving inside her, stretching her more.

“Mmm I love the taste of you,” he mumbled, his lips smearing kisses along the inside of her thigh.

The moan that left Emilia surprised her, but what he was doing to her felt so good, she didn’t care about the noises she made. Lowering himself to his knees with his mouth covering her clit, Tom slowly curled his fingers toward her g-spot and after a few strokes she was ready to see stars. Emilia gasped and writhed on the table, her body flush from the top of her head across her chest and downward.

She was speeding toward a climax quickly and Tom seemed content to help her there. When she opened her eyes to look at him, he stared up at her from between her thighs with a dark gaze. His eyes were seducing her and she could see in them all the things he was thinking about doing to her. It all became too much and she cried out his name as she finally fell over that cliff, her body shaking from the pleasure.

Feeling boneless as the tremors still shook her, Emilia laid back and panted as she stared at the ceiling. She felt Tom leave for a moment and she lifted her head to watch him roll on a condom. When he looked back to her, she unconsciously licked her lips and reached out for him. “Now,” she begged softly, her hands pulling at his shoulders as he leaned over her. “Please…”

Tom groaned at her begging and kissed her as deeply as he had between her legs. Emilia, every nerve ending electric and alive, wrapped her arms around him and tried to pull him down on top of her. But he resisted and smiled against her lips.

Her lover pulled back, taking hold of her left leg and kissed at her knee, up her calf as he extended the limb and rested her heel against his shoulder. His hips instinctively flexed against her, pushing his hard shaft against her center and Emilia moaned softly, reaching down to guide him up and down her wet folds. The head of his cock pressed against her clit and she let out a whimper, needing him so desperately.

After a few strokes like this, Tom cupped her cheek and coaxed her eyes up. “Gorgeous woman,” he breathed, almost as if to himself. His gaze held hers and he slowly pushed his length inside her.

His name left her lips in a sigh that matched his contented moan. One of Tom’s palms held tight to her hip and the other moved up along her leg as he moved his hips; out slowly, then back in. Emilia watched him, her eyes on his face as he moved in and out of her. As his pace quickened and his strokes became harder, she grabbed at whatever she could - the edge of the table, his hand on her hip.

Tom licked and kissed along her left calf as they moved together and his hand on her hip slipped up her torso and covered her breast. Emilia put one hand over his on her chest and then, as he drove into her, her other hand boldly moved to her clit.

“Oh God, Emilia.” The words came out as a growl from Tom’s mouth and she opened her eyes to find him watching her fingers. It was intimate and erotic and … stars burst in front of her eyes and her back levitated off the table as her release washed over her.

He followed her soon after and gripped the edge of the table to steady himself. When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her, his chest panting with breaths in time with hers. Slowly, Emilia sat up and reached for him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him to her. Tom slipped his arms around her and held her tightly, his face buried in her neck.

Time passed as they just held one another, allowing their bodies to come back to themselves. Eventually, Emilia pulled back enough to look in his soft blue eyes.

“Take me to bed,” she breathed, raking her fingers through his hair.

Tom lifted her up gently and did just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took forever. As I hope you can gather after reading the chapter, this was a pretty emotional one. I do hope you enjoy it and don't worry, things will get a bit better for Emilia and Tom. :) Thanks to everyone for the kudos and for checking out the story, I appreciate it!


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Emilia go dancing in London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! Here's chapter 6, definitely nsfw and probably not edited as well as it should be (sorry!). Tom and Emilia go dancing and even though this took me forever to finish, I really did have fun putting this chap together. Also it's a really long chapter; but I felt you guys needed it after the week waiting :)  
> Also, I appreciate all comments and notes. They are amazing and definitely keep me writing. Thank you!

Six

There was no way to tell by looking outside what time of day it was. The rain continued on, the ebb and flow of the drops creating nature’s own melancholy symphony against the window pane. Despite not knowing the exact time, Emilia was certain it had been several hours since Tom had arrived, drenched and offering his desperate confession.

Now, they both were quite warm in her bed, naked beneath the duvet and limbs tangled together. He was sleeping soundly, his lips parted slightly and a soft snore escaping him as his chest moved with his breaths. He was plastered against her, now like a furnace with the amount of heat his body was producing. She thought about how stark of a difference his body felt now than it did when he laid her out on the table.

A shiver raced through her at the memory not of his chilled skin, but the earth-stopping feelings that he had given her. Her eyes raked over his face now, noting his relaxed features. His short hair was a mess, but was endearing and Emilia felt a small smile tug at her lips as she reached up and gently ran a hand through it. A vain attempt to get it to lay over like she had seen him style it. Eventually, she gave up the task, settling for tracing along this forehead and then down, touching her fingers to the faint laugh lines about his eyes. Emilia bit her lower lip as her smile threatened to break into a grin.

The pads of her fingers continued their path, gently under one eye and then down his long, English nose. His cheeks and jaw were dusted with a reddish blonde scruff and the soft sound of her skin moving over it made her heart thump in her chest. Then her fingers halted at his lips and she stopped, her eyes narrowing a bit as she saw a small scar starting just above and working into his upper lip on the right side. She had never really seen it before.

Emilia started to wonder how he got it, her finger gently running over the mark. Was it during a stunt on one of his movies? Or maybe when he was a kid and he fell playing? Or…

Tom pulled in a deep breath and his arms around her tightened, pressing her flush against his body. Emilia curled into him and the warmth of him, closing her eyes.

“You aren’t sleeping,” he said, his voice husky and rough with sleep, making her shiver from head to toe.

She licked her lips and pulled back to smile softly. Her fingers moved of their own accord back to his face, apparently unable to stop touching him. “I’m not tired,” she answered quietly.

Her lover groaned and shifted against her, “That speaks to my performance earlier.” His voice was doing things to her, as if he was touching her, causing desire to start to wake up right along with him.

But his choice of words and the fact his eyes had not opened yet caused a slight panic to rise in her. “Oh, no, no, no,” she started quickly, hoping to assure him that he did his job well earlier.  _Really, really_ well. “I did sleep. I slept plenty. I promise I haven’t been awake long. I just…” she trailed off, not really knowing how to explain why she was awake or what she was doing.

She started to feel very silly, her cheeks heating with a flush. But Tom laughed softly and she blew out a breath, realizing he was teasing her. A silence came over them and she couldn’t help but run her fingers lightly over the scar again, her questioning nature demanding she mention it and find out the story.

“You have a scar,” she started, her voice barely above a whisper. “Right here on your upper lip. I never noticed it until now.”

His large, warm palms stroked up her back gently, “Yes, the actions of a very clumsy, young rugby player,” he explained.

Emilia felt her eyes widen, “You played rugby?”

“Yes.” He looked a bit proud as he raised his chin a bit. “I was quite good, or at least I thought I was. Naturally I received my fair share of tackles until I became better at dodging them.”

She licked her lips, “It must have a been a hell of a blow,” she whispered, stroking her fingers lovingly along his jaw now.

She felt Tom stare at her for a moment before he answered. “It was. Brought tears to my eyes, as I recall,” he said softly, his fingers stilling just above her bum on the dip in her lower back.

The pause entered their conversation again, perching itself precariously in the room. But it wasn’t uncomfortable. No, it was actually nice. Emilia continued to allow her fingers to trace lines along his features. She was finding things she hadn’t had a chance to see before. Along with his laugh lines and the scar, there were a few, very faint freckles that dotted his forehead near his temple and tried to hide on his nose and three marks on  his neck which made a little arch. His face told her a story and it was one of happiness and laughter, of love and passion, of stress and hard work.

She found she loved looking at his face, not just because he was insanely attractive and his looks alone caused something to stir in her. No… she loved looking at him because of all the facades of him she could see just in his features. Tom was like an open book with her and he was quickly becoming her favorite novel, drawing her in to read his pages over and over again, even though she memorized them all by heart.

As her fingers drifted down along the column of his neck, Tom smiled and chuckled, the sound vibrating in his throat under her fingers. It made her look up into his gaze and it was then she realized he was watching as she blatantly stared at him like some … unabashed fangirl.

Emilia blushed and pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry I’m staring,” she whispered, feeling embarrassment flood through her.

As she pulled her hand back, he reached up and took a hold of it. Pressing their palms together, he leaned in and kissed her forehead, “No, love. Don’t be. I like seeing that look on your face… the one you have right now.”

Emilia bit her lower lip as Tom curled his fingers to hold her hand. “If I had it my way,” he started cautiously. “I would always have you look at me like that.”

She swallowed hard and looked at their intertwined hands to keep from looking into his eyes; the emotions there and in her heart were almost too much. She was trying to be as rational as possible about this still. It was just really hard. Especially when she took into consideration the fact she would be leaving in 10 days. That would change everything. Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Emilia tried to imagine the feeling she would experience at leaving him. If she felt like this after four days, it would only be worse after the next week and a half. The thought caused her heart to seize uncomfortably in her chest.

Suddenly, Tom’s arms tightened around her, drawing her from her thoughts to finally look back up at him. He looked at her in concern and used his other hand to rake through her hair. “No, no, no, no, love. Don’t do that. Don’t get that far away look in your eyes now,” he pleaded softly. “What are you thinking about that makes you pull away?”

Not wanting to admit the truth, she shook her head and lowered her gaze from him again, resting her forehead against his chest. He drew in a deep breath, his fingers still running gently through her dark locks and his other hand holding hers tightly.

“Don’t wander from me, Emilia,” he said softly. “Tell me.”

Realizing pulling away from him again would do neither of them good, she took a deep breath. “All you said this morning … I feel the same way. For the past four days I can’t help but feel like you and I were meant to meet. I’m so attached to you as well, I just can’t imagine…”

The emotions threatened to take her over again, so she paused, pursing her lips to get her bearings back. “In 10 days, I’ll have to go back to the states. What are we going to do, Tom? Are we just going to … to live in the moment up until then, then be done with each other? Will we ever see each other again? What will we…”

Tom moved his hands to gently take hold of her face, interrupting her desperate rant. The action caused her to meet his gaze again and his blue eyes were soft, maybe a bit sad; but mostly he looked at her like he never wanted to look away.

“I dread the day when you will leave as well.” He paused to take a deep breath. “But I have you here, for 10 days. I would hate to spend that time thinking about you leaving me when I have you, pressed up against me.” As if to prove what was blatantly obvious, he pushed his hips against her. “In my arms, in my bed, telling me you care for me and that you could…”

He trailed off and they both looked at each other, not breathing for a moment. He didn’t say the word they’re both thinking, but it hung in the air still, like a beautiful mystery.

Tom then sighed deeply, “Emilia, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. But we must live in the present; there’s no point in thinking about 10 days from now because we can’t stop that, as it is. You’re here with me, and that’s all that matters. We’ll make the best of these 10 days. And when you leave, we’ll decide what our future will be then.”

She swallowed hard and knew how right he was. Spending another second wasting time on the future she couldn’t change at the moment was pointless. He was here, now, holding her and touching her. What did 10 days from then matter?

He was waiting for a response from her, his eyes taking on a touch of worry. So Emilia smiled softly and nodded her agreement. He leaned toward her and kissed her upper lip gently, and when she wrapped her arms around his neck, he deepened their kiss.

After a few minutes, they pulled back and she snuggled against him once more. She felt content and at ease now.

“So what shall we do today?” he asked after a moment.

Emilia raised her head and looked out the window behind him. She sighed and looked to him in a bit of disappointment, “It’s still very dreary outside.”

Tom hummed for a moment, “Well, it looks as if you are finally getting to experience a typical London day.”

She grinned, “Well then what do Londoners do on typical London days? As you are my expert, I default to your knowledge in this area.”

He gave a soft laugh, the one that made her smile no matter what, and looked down at her. “We do have a certain pattern for what we do on rainy days.”

“Well then I’m all ears.”

He scrunched his face in a thoughtful expression which made her giggle softly. “We have a lot of tea,” he said after a moment.

She laughed, “I’m not surprised at that.”

“And we watch a lot of telly,” he added, ignoring her quip.

“Also very understandable,” she agreed with a small nod.

He looked back to her, his eyes seeming to darken a bit as his voice dropped. “And usually, we stay wrapped up in the duvets in bed. Naked, preferably. Because naked is better.”

Emilia tried not to grin brightly, biting down on her lower lip to contain the smile. “I think that’s an idea I can get behind. And as we are already in such a position, it wouldn’t make things difficult.”

Tom smiled, his arms wrapping around her as his body turned to press her back into the fluffy mattress. “I love the way you think, darling.”

~*~*~*~

Emilia walked into Tom’s flat ahead of him, feeling exhaustion deep in her legs. She had been dying to see all the touristy places of London, and Tom vowed to show her. And as the sun had decided to bask down upon the city once more, the two trekked out, hand in hand, to visit all the spots on her wish list.

Though it made her exhausted to do so.

“I have to say,” Tom started as he closed the door behind him. Emilia had already toed off her shoes and bee-lined for the comforts of his sofa. “I can’t remember the last time I just went poking around, you know? I suppose since I live here I take for granted all the touristy bits.”

Emilia let out a contented sigh as she sunk into the sofa. “Mmmhmm,” she mumbled, snuggling into the cushions.

“It’s nice to remember why I love London so much,” he continued, his soft footsteps sounding as he walked into the living room as well.

“Mmmhmmm.”

His soft chuckle filled the air as she felt him pick up her legs, draping them over his lap after he sat down next to her. “Have I worn you out, darling?” he asked, one of his hands trailing up her jean-clad leg.

Emilia groaned and snuggled further down into the pillows and cushions. “No, I just…” She paused and relished the feeling of his hands massaging her calves and then up to her thighs. “Yeah, you’ve worn me out.”

He laughed, but didn’t stop touching her which she was very much grateful for. After a moment of silence, he settled back into the seat more, his hands still caressing her. “We need to do something really fun tonight,” he mused aloud.

“You mean, our current nocturnal activities are not fun enough?” she questioned, a teasing smirk on her face.

Tom looked over at her and licked his lips, “No, those are amazing and very fun indeed.”

Yes, so fun that he was giving her the bedroom eyes right now and Emilia couldn’t stop herself from shifting in her spot. Good lord, how could him just looking at her stir her like that? It was so odd and scary yet so exhilarating. After a moment, he grinned mischievously, “I should take you dancing.”

Emilia felt her eyes widen in surprise, “You like dancing?”

“Who doesn’t like dancing?” he answered, his face scrunched in confusion.

“Some people.”

Tom laughed, “Well are you one of these ‘some people,’ Emilia?” he asked.

She pursed her lips as she moved to sit up. A bright grin lit up her face, “Definitely not. I love to dance.”

His grin matched hers. “So do I. That settles it then. We’ll go to a restaurant I know where a fantastic band plays and then, it’s dancing.”

Emilia bit down on her lower lip and couldn’t help but clap her hands together in excitement and then lean forward to kiss him. She had not been dancing in ages and it was hard to get Carmen to drive all the way to Louisville, Ky., to go to some decent clubs. Plus, the prospect of dancing with Tom was so alluring, she couldn’t help but think about it over and over again. What kind of a dancer was he? She absolutely couldn’t wait to find out.

Tom wasn't too specific on where exactly they were going to dinner. After a minor panic attack about what to wear, Emilia finally decided to just pick whatever dress she wanted with a pair of tights and her favorite boots. The past couple of days had found her at his flat a lot so there were a couple bags of her clothes already there. It seemed silly to have a hotel room when Tom wouldn't let her leave his flat at night, but she felt odd thinking about packing up and spending the last week of her holiday at his place.

When she had finished, she walked out into the bedroom and was happy to see Tom dressed in a nice pair of jeans - slightly worn and very familiar with his body she noticed appreciatively - and a light blue button down. His staple fashion go-to, if he couldn't wear a suit. She found she loved that about him; he was always well put together, taking care with how he looked. She was the same. It was like they...fit.

He was just putting on his watch when he turned to watch her walk out. She had dressed in a light blue sheath dress that ended a few inches above her knees, a sash tied around her waist, giving the pieces of clothing more definition. Dark chocolate brown tights covered her legs and knee high boots finished her look. His hand stilled on his wrist as his eyes swept over her. She decided to keep her auburn hair down, the waves softly framing her face, and her make up light.

"It's not too ... Ugh I don't know," she started, words failing her.

Tom grinned and walked up to her, taking her hands. "It's perfect. You are just so lovely I had to pause a moment to take it all in."

Emilia blushed but kept her voice steady, "Are you trying to charm me out of my panties before we even leave?"

"You know I could," he replied cheekily, winking at her as his arms went about her. His large palms smoothed down her back and over the curve of her bum. "Just tell me one thing before we go?"

Curious, Emilia raised an eyebrow, "What's that?"

His smile fading, his eyes darkening, Tom leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "What kind of knickers are you wearing tonight?"

Emilia thought she had an obsession with the lingerie she wore, but it was nothing compared to the fascination Tom had for her panties.

Sensing the chance for a little revenge, Emilia attempted her best sex-kitten smirk. "What if I'm not wearing any knickers under these tights?" she asked, opting for the British slang word.

Tom gave a deep groan which she felt in his chest as he closed his eyes, clearing allowing his imagination to run rampant. "Fuck, woman don't tell me that."

Emilia just grinned and pulled away, "Come on, we don't want to get stuck waiting."

But he held fast to her hand, pulling her back, "Emilia, are you really not wearing any underwear?"

She only grinned and grabbed her purse, heading out of his bedroom. His groan echoed through the bedroom so loudly, she heard it even in the living room.

They took the Underground to the restaurant, which was just a lovely little place with a stage and a small dance floor. The band for the evening consisted of just four members; one on drums, two on guitars and another on a small keyboard. The music they played was relaxing and smooth; Emilia hummed along with the notes, her arm looped around Tom's and her body snuggled up to his side as they waited for their table.

Once they were seated, they ordered wine and went back and forth about the items on the menu before finally deciding. As they waited for their main course, going through a second glass of wine, the band invited couples in the room to come out and dance. As the slow strum of the guitars started up again, Tom made a soft noise as he was taking a drink and then quickly sat his glasses down.

"Come on," he said, extending his arm across the table, palm up for her to take his hand.

Emilia's blue eyes widened. "What?"

"First dance of the evening. Up you get," he said, his face serious.

"Tom, no one else is dancing," she argued.

"So?" he questioned. "We don't need other people to dance, do we?"

So he had a point. Still, Emilia didn't make move to take his hand. He sighed  "Emilia, if you don't take my hand, it's dead cert I will throw you over my shoulder and drag you out there."

Emilia pursed her lips. Her eyes moved from his hand to his face and then back again.

Tom stood and walked to her side, his hand still held out to her. "Come on, then," he coaxed on a sing-song voice, crooking his index finger in a "Come here," motion.

He was ridiculous, which was why she smiled a bit and took his hand. Her dance partner looked more than delighted as he curled his fingers around her hand and led her to the empty dance floor. The two guitarists smiled at them and nodded as Tom placed one of his hands upon her hip. The other - still holding her hand - brought their clasped palms to his chest. They then began to sway softly with the beat, Tom leading Emilia gently through the dance.

"See," he whispered after a bit. "This isn't so bad."

Emilia looked up and smiled softly, "No, not bad at all. Maybe us being out here will encourage others to dance as well."

He chuckled softly. "There you go, being a role model."

She giggled at that and then rested her head gently against his chest. Her eyes stayed trained on their hands, his fingers gently caressing her hand. All in all, it was the perfect first dance.

They eventually left the dance floor and Emilia was happy to notice several other couples followed their lead to share dances. As they sat down again at their table, Tom just grinned softly at her. When she asked him what it was he was thinking about, he just shook his head and took her hand.

The dinner was delicious and they took their time savoring it, polishing off a bottle of wine. They were in no rush, as it would be another few hours before the clubs would start to get in swing. After their meal, they walked along the paths in a nearby park. Their conversation was fun and light as they walked, but when it waned, Emilia snuggled against his side, Tom’s arm wrapped firmly around her, and they continued on in the comfortable silence.

The night air was getting a bit chilly, but Emilia felt very flushed, thanks to the wine from the dinner still warming her veins and Tom next to her. She even coaxed him to sit for a bit on one of the benches and steal some kisses.

Finally, after what felt like a blissful few hours, Tom tugged her from the bench, tucking her arm around his. “Now it’s time for the real fun,” he told her and she shivered as she laughed, the excitement bubbling up again.

They were on the Underground again before she knew it, Tom telling her he knew the perfect place to stop first in Soho.

“The bars are far better in that neighborhood,” he said.

“I thought we were going dancing?” she asked with a little smirk.

“We are, there will be good music, I promise. But we need to loosen up a bit first,” he explained.

While she was trying to keep her excitement hidden, he wasn’t holding anything back. With his arm around her, he steadied the both of them during the train ride and kept a bright smile on his face. Once they stepped up on the street, it wasn’t hard to spot the bar he was wanting to go to first. The music was already loud, though thankfully it didn’t look to be overflowing with young kids.

There was a line, but the security at the door let them pass easily and without fuss, which only told Emilia Tom had been there before and probably frequently. “You bring all the girls here?” she teased, her voice raising to be heard over the music.

Tom looked back at her and rolled his eyes, which only made her laugh. Her hand in his, he lead her up to the bar, pulling her up in front of him. He stood behind her like a protective wall, his hands trapping her in against the edge of the bar while they waited for the bartender to make her way to them. The music was some song she had never heard of, but it was good with a great beat and Emilia slightly swayed to the rhythm.

“Are you itching to get out there, darling?” he asked in her ear.

She looked over her shoulder at him and grinned, “There are a lot more people here.”

He laughed. When the bartender appeared, Tom ordered a vodka tonic and Emilia, after some thought, ordered a rum and coke with lime. As the woman left to get their drinks, Emilia looked back to see Tom giving her an odd look.

“What?” she asked through a laugh.

“I didn’t peg you for a rum girl,” he said.

“Why’s that?” she asked. “You were expecting me to order something fruity weren’t you? Something a little more chick-drinkish?”

He laughed, “Actually yes, yes I was.”

Emilia rolled her eyes playfully. “Figures. I would think an actor wouldn’t type cast a girl.” When he held up his hands in surrender, she smiled at him. “If I was really wanting to drink, I would have gotten a whiskey sour.”

Tom gave her the skeptical look again. Emilia pushed his shoulder, “Hey, I was a college girl once. I know how to drink.”

Their drinks appeared and Emilia greedily brought her glass to her lips, downing half of the smooth liquor in a heart beat. Tom sipped on his vodka tonic slowly though, his free hand moving to her hip. She turned to face him as they drank, feeling every one of his fingertips as his hand moved along to her lower back. They stared at one another as they finished off the drinks, the bass of the music thumping, the people moving about around them.

The bartender passed again and Tom moved to the bar to order them another round. The song changed and Emilia smiled, bouncing on her feet a bit as she recognized the tune. He handed her the second drink and she stepped up into him, encouraging him to lean back against the bar. The beat flooding the room, Emilia began to dance a bit in her spot in front of him.

Tom raised his eyebrows a bit and smiled, his arm wrapping around her middle and pulling her flush against him as he drank. She continued to move against him, pressing her hips to his as she sang along quietly with the loud music. Tom just stood there and watched her, his eyes hooded as he kept tipping his glass to his lips and drinking.

Finally, their second drinks gone, Emilia decided they were “loose” enough. She set her empty glass down on the bar and grabbed Tom’s hand, “Come on,” she said.

He chuckled, “What?”

“It’s time to danceeeeee,” she said, feeling her body lose from the alcohol. “Tom, if you don't take my hand, it's dead cert I will throw you over my shoulder and drag you out there,” she copied his words from earlier.

That earned her a full laugh, his head tipped back and everything. She grinned triumphantly and tugged on his hand again. Downing the last of his drink, he set his glass down and pushed off from the bar. Emilia pulled him into the crowd of moving bodies and then turned, pressing up against him again. He felt good; strong, solid and warm. The lighting was dim, but she could still see how the pupils of his eyes widened, his gaze turning dark.

Her hands slipped up his arms, shoulders and around his neck, holding their bodies close as they moved with the heavy beat. His arms were secure around her middle and they danced and laughed for at least an hour. When she told him she wanted another drink, he took her hand and instead of heading up to the bar, he pulled her toward the exit.

“Wait, where are we going?” she asked confused as they tumbled back out onto the street.

“First rule of nightclubs in London,” Tom said, wrapping his arm around her and leading her back toward the Metro station. “Never stay in one too long.”

Emilia giggled, “Is that an honest to God rule, or are you making it up?”

He just grinned at her, tugging her toward the Underground. Standing on the platform, blending in, Emilia wrapped her arms around Tom’s waist and snuggled into him. She was still feeling good and buzzed. Tom slipped his arms around her as well and kissed the top of her head, causing her to tip her head up to look at him.

His smile was soft and inviting and she couldn’t stop raising up on her tip-toes to kiss him right there on the platform. No one was paying them any attention anyway. The thought was like a soothing balm to the last of her nerves. When he started to pull back, she pressed back into him again, kissing his bottom lip.

A soft groan left him as he squeezed her body and he bent down to kiss her again, coaxing her mouth to open under his. The intercom chimed, a recorded message about some stop flowed through the speakers, and drew them out of the little bubble they were in. Emilia’s eyes fluttered open and they smiled at each other softly.

She curled her fingers into his hair. “You know… I’m really very happy I met you,” she confessed softly.

Tom swallowed hard, his eyes looking over her face before his smile came back. “I am too, darling. I am too.”

Their train arrived then and they followed the crowd onto the car. She tried to get him to tell her where they were going, but he just smiled and didn’t utter a word. As the stops ticked by, she still hadn’t figured out where they were headed. Finally, the recorded voice called out what was obviously their stop because Tom stood and pulled her up.

“I have to warn you,” Tom said as he looped Emilia’s arm through his and guided her down the street. “This place is pretty big. It’s one of the most well known clubs in London; there will be a  _lot_ of people here.”

Emilia’s brow crinkled as she looked up at him. “Well… will that be wise, given…?”

He shook his head, “There will be too many people and it’ll be too dark for them to recognize me. Really, we’ll be okay. But if you would rather we go somewhere else?”

She bit her lower lip. “If you think we’ll have a good time, then I’m all for it.”

Tom grinned. “We get a couple more drinks in, we won’t even worry about it.”

That made her laugh.

She thought maybe he was exaggerating a bit about the enormity of the club, but when they came around the corner her eyes widened at seeing the huge line that curled out of the club and down the street.

“Holy crap,” she breathed.

Tom just laughed. Completely by passing the massive line of people, he tugged her along and around the corner of the building. She was just getting ready to ask him what in the world they were doing when he took her to a small door on the side where two security guys were standing. She giggled.

“Incognito, Hiddleston. I like it,” she teased.

After Tom exchanged a few words with the two men, he passed a few folded bills to them and then pulled her into the darkness of the massive club. The lighting was definitely what she expected - strobe lights making the movements of those around them seem disjointed and colored lasers creating grids across the room and over bodies. Emilia held tightly to Tom’s hand as he pulled her along, slightly afraid she might lose him in the mass of people. He guided her to another room away from the main dance floor, which was packed and still loud with the DJ’s music, but it was without the strobe lights. She already felt better.

“Drinks, yeah?” he asked, looking at her wearily, as if he worried he’d made the wrong decision.

Emilia smiled and nodded, “Yes please.”

For her part, she went through three drinks rather quickly and enjoyed the smooth burn of the alcohol in her veins. He, however, just leaned back against the bar, nursing on his vodka and tonic slowly. David Guetta started blaring through the speakers and Emilia can’t help but move her hips. It didn’t take too long for Tom to slip an arm around her and guide her to the room’s dance floor.

She felt like she was floating and he was the only thing holding her down to Earth. Buzzed, she threw her hands in the air with everyone else, her body moving with the beat. Her back was pressed against Tom’s chest and he moved with her, which sent all kinds of good feelings surging through her. If she were to be honest, she didn’t expect him to be such a great dancer. But he was. And the way he moved his body against her, especially his hips… well, it had her thinking of things other than dancing.

They danced together a bit before he showed off for her and she loved it, cheering him on as he moved. Jason Derulo’s “Don’t Wanna Go Home” was next on the playlist and Emilia added her excited cry to noise of the crowd. Tom laughed at her excitement and pulled her close, draping her arms over his shoulders and putting his hands on her waist. He guided her body to move with his; legs, hips, chests… Her fingers disappeared in his hair and she pulled his head down, kissing him because the need was too much to ignore. His mouth opened under hers and the moment his tongue touched hers, she moaned into him, her fingers tightening around his short locks.

Fire all over … that’s what she felt. As they continued to kiss in the middle of the dance floor, a wicked thought came over Emilia. The more she tried to ignore it, the stronger the urge became. Tom broke off the kiss and Emilia tipped her head back, trying to catch her breath as his lips moved down her neck and his hands edged closer and closer to her bum, their bodies still moving against each other with the music.

Swallowing hard, her eyes skimmed the darkened room for somewhere to go where they wouldn’t be seen. There wasn’t anything private in the large dance room they were in. They would have to go leave that room…

Before she could lose her nerve - and relying a lot on the courage of the liquor in her - Emilia tugged on Tom’s hair gently, pulling him back to look her in the eye. She was breathing heavily, two seconds away from jumping him right on the dance floor. The way he looked at her now didn’t help matters any.

Emilia licked her lips and tiptoed up to his ear, “You wanna go find somewhere away from everyone?” she asked, hoping he would get what she was saying.

He pulled back, his face crinkled in confusion. Trying to not feel silly, she went back to his ear. “I really,  _really_ want you. Right now.”

“You’re serious?” he asked when she pulled back.

Embarrassment flooded her and even the alcohol couldn’t stop it. She nodded and then looked up at him. They had completely stopped moving, everyone else around them pulsating with the music. But the only thing Emilia noticed was the look of complete lust on Tom’s face at her suggestion.

Her courage came back in force at that. A small smirk turned up the corner of her lips and she took his hand, leading him now as she moved toward the hallway. The main dance floor was not an option, obviously, she thought. Her head turned to look down the hallway, searching for a niche in the wall, something…

A door opened then as if she summoned it and a guy walked out and disappeared into the crowd toward the back of the club. Biting her lower lip, she tugged on Tom’s hand and all but dashed to the room. There were a few couples and other people randomly standing in the hallway, but she was sure they didn’t notice anything else around them.

Once they were in the room, Tom shut the door and locked it. It was a small bathroom, one stall only and thankfully very clean. Emilia turned to make some joke to Tom, feeling giddy from the alcohol, their dancing and the knowledge of what they were about to do. But she never got a chance to say anything. His arms reached out and pulled her to him, his mouth finding hers without error. It was a deep, lustful kiss, filled with promises, and Emilia fisted the front of his shirt and moaned into him.

“You feel like being a naughty girl, do you Emilia?” he said against her mouth, his hands going down and underneath her dress.

She groaned as his palmed her bum covered in her tights and nothing else. The smirk that spread across her face felt sexy and she hoped that’s what she was conveying as his eyes met hers and went wide.

“Told you I might not be wearing panties,” she confessed.

“Christ,” he growled, kissing her fiercely again.

One of his hands pulled up her dress and the other tried to peel her tights down her legs. Her head buzzing, the sound of their heavy breaths and the muffled thumping music ringing in her ears, Emilia felt something else take her over. She put her palms on his chest and pushed him back against the door. Tom fell back against it, confusion clouding his features.

Emilia bit on her lower lip and grabbed the belt at his waist and undid it.

“Emilia,” he breathed, his hands raising to stop her.

But she shook her head and smacked his palms away. “Nope. You’ve had your fun with me. Now I want my turn.” Her fingers undid the top button on his jeans and then slowly slid the zipper down. “Be a gentleman and give me what I want,” she said, her eyes meeting his.

Tom licked his lips, “A gentleman always lets a lady go first…”

Slipping her palm into his open jeans, Emilia leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “Tonight I’m being naughty, remember?” She paused long enough to stroke his growing erection through his boxers. “Naughty girls don’t get to go first.”

His head thumped back against the door, “Fuck, Emilia.”

“Patience,” she teased with a soft giggle. “That will come soon enough.”

Tom chuckled at that too and swallowed hard as he watched her slowly go to her knees, pulling his jeans and boxers down with her as she went. He was already hard in anticipation and Emilia wrapped her hand around him, stroking softly as she watched him. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard and let his head fall back again.

Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his shaft and slowly kissed up to the head of his cock, swirling her tongue around it slowly before kissing down the other side. His chest heaved with breaths at her teasing and fueled her confidence. Her tongue drew a path next, paying special attention to the underside of his cock. A stuttered breath left Tom as the tip of her pink tongue hit the sensitive spot just below the tip. A large palm slipped into her auburn waves and Emilia moved one of her hands to his thigh, holding on as she took hold of his shaft at the base and trace her tongue over him again.

“Tease,” he breathed out and she chuckled, looking up to see his lips parted and his head tipped back still.

“Thomas,” she said, hoping her voice really sounded as husky and turned on to him as it did to her. “Look at me, baby.”

His fingers curled in her hair as he bent his head and opened his eyes to catch her gaze. She grinned, mustering up her sexy side. “I’ve been wanting to taste you for a long time now,” she said, holding eye contact as she wrapped her lips around the head of his cock and slipped her mouth down his shaft.

“Oh God,” he growled, watching her as his body twitched.

She pulled back, her tongue flat against the underside of his length again, licking up. Her hand lazily stroked up and down as she paid attention to the tip, sucking slowly before she ran her tongue around it and along the slit.

“Emilia… I can’t…” Tom breathed heavily, both hands holding her hair now and his hips jerking forward.

Emilia slipped her mouth back down, taking as much of him as she could while he attempted to speak. When she pulled back, she stroked him and licked her lips. “But I’m having so much fun.”

“Fuck, woman,” he groaned darkly, taking a hold of her shoulders and hauling her to her feet.

His kiss was far from gentle and controlled now. His hand took hold of her dress and pulled it over her head, dropping it on the floor as his hands next went to her tights, pushing them down to the top of her knee-high boots.

She wasn’t prepared for the feeling of his fingers sliding along her wet folds, but she moaned against his mouth at the jolt of pleasure the touch gave her.

“Mmm, you are naughty, wearing no knickers, being this wet for me,” Tom purred in her ear as he turned her toward the mirror over the sink. Emilia’s eyes widened at seeing their reflection. She was half naked, Tom towering behind her as he pressed against her back. His arm wrapped around her hip and his palm slipped down her belly back to her dripping center.

Emilia held onto his arm with one hand, the other reaching back to his neck, slipping into his hair again. He nudged her head to tilt to one side, opening access to the column of her neck for his lips as his fingers played her expertly. She felt her knees go weak as he circled her clit. “Tom,” she whimpered.

“Lean forward, darling,” he instructed her softly as he coaxed her forward to the sink.

Emilia swallowed hard, doing as he instructed and taking hold of the sink. “Look at me, baby,” he said with a wicked smirk, a hand on her hip as the other left her clit.

Now her breathing was heavy as her blue eyes moved up to look at his in the reflection. Her lower lip found its way between her teeth as she felt him move his shaft along her center, teasing her. She gasped his name, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge of the sink. He leaned down over her, still looking in her eyes as his lips sucked on her earlobe and he pushed inside her.

Emilia moaned his name loudly, her eyes fluttering shut at the pleasure of finally feeling him seated deep in her. Tom pulled back excruciatingly slow, his mouth moving to her shoulder and his teeth grazing across her exposed skin. “Look at me, Emilia,” he growled into her before his teeth sunk into her smooth flesh.

She gasped, the slight pain sending an exciting thrill straight down to her center, where Tom’s shaft pushed into her again. Her eyes flew open and she felt her breath leave her at how dark his eyes were; lustful, sexy…

“Tell me what you want, darling,” he said against her skin, mouthing at her shoulder toward her neck as he pulled back out slowly and then snapped his hips forward, driving back into her.

“Oh God, Tom,” she cried out, her head dropping for a moment before she looked back up to him. “Faster,  _please_ ,” she begged.

Tom hummed his approval against her neck, dragging his tongue along her pulse point as one hand gripped her hips and his pace increased. She moaned in pleasure, the fire in her suddenly rushing right to her center. Her hips pushed back into his, meeting him with a satisfying slap of skin, body against body. She didn’t recognize her voice as she encouraged him on.

"Yes...Tom, don't stop."

“You’re so fucking sexy,” he said into her skin, his lips ghosting everywhere he could reach it seemed. “So sweet, so tight, so wet…”

Emilia was fighting to keep focus on their reflection in the mirror. They looked …. they looked fucking good, sexy as all hell. She would have never thought in a million years she would do anything like this; have sex in the restroom of a club. But with Tom … it was so erotic and hot and sexy. While she enjoyed their slow, tender love-making, this needy fucking just about set her body alight. She never in a million years would have admitted to having such a fantasy. But now with Tom - gorgeous, sexy, shiver-inducing Tom - bending her over the sink and pushing deep inside her over and over … well, she was sure she’d welcome another round of this any time.

His teeth scraping along her earlobe brought her attention back to him as she felt his hand slip down the curve of her belly, finding her clit. “You want to come, Emilia?” he asked, his voice rough, deep, husky.

She nodded feverishly, whimpering as he circled her clit with two fingers.

“Come on, writer,” he teased with the most evil, sexy grin. “Use your words.”

“Tom,” she moaned. “Please…”

“You can do better, love.”

His fingers stilled and she groaned,, adjusting her hold on the sink. “I wanna come, Tom. Please make me come.”

Tom kissed the spot just below her ear, sending shivers along her skin. “With pleasure.”

Once again his fingers started their strokes against her, his other hand tilting her hips up to angle her better so he hit a deeper spot as he thrusted in and out of her willing body. The movements caused her to let out a shuddering cry and her body shook, clenching tight around his shaft as her climax took over her body. His name left her lips over and over again in a chant as she saw spots swimming in her vision; she was sure she’d blackout as her body slumped forward.

Tom pulled her body up, holding her against him as he continued to move in and out. She felt him tensing behind her, and she curled her arm back to his hip, digging her fingers into his side and encouraging him on. “Come baby, please,” she said to him, still looking at him in the mirror.

His movements stuttered as he buried his face in her neck, letting out a deep growl and she gasped as she felt him pulse and spill inside her. Panting, Tom turned, falling back against the wall and bringing Emilia with him. She had no idea how he was still standing; his arms around her was the only thing keeping her up, her legs were shaking so badly.

“That…” he panted. “Was absolutely fantastic.”

She smiled, tilting her head up to kiss the exposed skin at his neck. “I’ve always wanted to do that. Thank you for indulging one of my fantasies.”

He looked down at her, licking his lips, “It’s always the sweet ones who are naughty,” he mumbled, his thumb running along her bottom lip. Then he grinned, “Wait, one? Do you have a list of dirty, naughty fantasies, darling?”

Emilia felt her cheeks heat up, “Maybe.”

“Oh you’re definitely going to have to share.”

She opened her mouth to argue he might not want to say that when a loud banging on the door caused them both to jump and Emilia to shriek. Someone outside was yelling about having to piss, his words slurring viciously. Tom and Emilia quickly dressed, laughing as the drunk continued to yell incoherently, banging on the door.

Finally, Tom swung open the door, startling the drunk to the point the man stumbled back. Gripping Emilia’s hand, Tom grinned, “Sorry mate. Couldn’t wait.”

He then pulled her out with him into the hall as she offered apologies as well. Then the pair, hand in hand, raced down the hall toward the exit, laughing as they went.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emilia gets to meet some of Tom's friends/co-stars, but things don't go so smoothly.

Seven

There was a gentle press against her forehead which pulled Emilia out of the fuzzy haze between consciousness and sleep. She groaned, tried to fight the tide of her body waking up, stretching each of her limbs slowly to delay the inevitable. When her eyes fluttered open, she looked up to see Tom leaning over her, a soft smile full of adoration on his face.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he whispered softly, brushing a few strands of her hair from her face.

Emilia blinked a few more times to wake herself up and yawned, “Why aren’t you in bed? I thought you didn’t have to be anywhere this morning?” she asked groggily.

Tom chuckled a bit and kissed her lips briefly before pulling away. She sat up to see him dressed … well like he was headed to the gym. That thought made Emilia crinkle her nose in slight disapproval. She loved yoga and Zumba, but to her, those were not “gym” activities. Panting on a bike, lifting dirty weights, doing crunches… She cringed.

“No, love, I’m just going for a run. I’ve been off schedule and need to get back into it,” he said, adjusting his watch on his wrist.

Emilia wrapped the sheet around her a bit and crossed her arms to keep it up, “I didn’t know you liked to run in the mornings.”

“Well, there’s been this rather gorgeous, amazing woman who likes to stay naked in my bed and she’s been keeping me from it,” Tom replied cheekily, closing the distance between them to lean over and kiss her again.

Emilia’s scowl melted when his lips touched hers and she slipped her fingers into his hair, attempting to hold him to her longer. She was also hoping to coax him back to under the covers. But he apparently was determined to go sweat in a non-fun way because he pulled out of the kiss, stroked her cheek and went back to getting ready.

“I’ve been thinking, though,” he said, picking up their conversation again.

“A dangerous thing,” she quipped, falling back into the comfort of his sheets and mattress.

Tom rolled his eyes, but smiled at her just the same. “I think you should check out of your hotel and spend the rest of your holiday here in my flat,” he said nonchalantly.

The statement shocked her so much, she didn’t have a chance to keep her expression blank. Luckily, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling on his running shoes, his back to her. Taking a moment, Emilia took a deep breath and tried to not overreact.

“Are you serious?” she asked softly. She had similar thoughts before, yes, but that was just a foolish tangent in her mind. She didn’t actually think he would be thinking the same as well.

“Of course I’m serious,” he replied, pulling on his other shoe. “There’s really no point for you to keep the room. You’ve been staying the night here mostly; we rarely go back to your hotel. I think it would just be better if you just stayed in one place. It seems more logical than you spending your hard-earned money on a room you spend little to no time in.”

He made complete sense. But the whole “logical” part of it made her pause. Shouldn’t he want her to stay because … well he wanted her? Not because of logic? Emilia closed her eyes and pushed the thoughts aside. She was overthinking this, surely. If he wasn’t thinking of her, if he didn’t want her, he wouldn’t have even bothered with the thought.

Still… They had only known one another for a week. Now he was practically asking her to live with him for seven days. It was a lot to comprehend…

After she didn’t respond right away, Tom turned and looked at her, a slight worry creasing his brow. “Is that too much?”

Emilia pursed her lips and thought carefully. “Well, yes, it is a lot, Tom, don’t you think?”

He turned on the bed so he was facing her, the concern etched deep on his face. “We only have about seven more days before you leave so…”

The vulnerability in his voice made her heart seize. They said they weren’t going to talk about it or worry about it, but she knew that was easier said than done. The two of them had been doing whatever they fancied but the thought of her leaving was always the elephant in the room.

Emilia took a deep breath, sitting up and tucking the sheet around her again. Her arms across her chest, she gave him a small smirk, “I guess it’s not entirely a bad idea.”

Her smile seemed to melt his worries. The wrinkles smoothed out on his forehead and he started to crawl toward her. “I’m glad you agree, darling. Because I think we should check you out and get you moved today before we do anything else.”

His lips met hers in a very gentle kiss and she once again found herself slipping a hand into his hair, trying to pull him into her. They kissed lazily, gently, searching… it felt so delicious, Emilia’s toes curled.

When he pulled back, she drew in a deep breath, looking up into his gorgeous blue eyes as her fingers gently raked through the short hair at the back of his neck. “How about I think about it, hmm?” she asked softly. “So it seems like I’m not hastily agreeing.”

His warm breath fanned over her skin as he let out a very soft chuckle. “Okay, darling, you do that,” he replied in a voice that said he knew she had already decided. He kissed her again softly before pulling back and letting her drop into his sheets.

She let out a heavy sigh as she watched him crawl off the bed. Then she pouted. “Do you really have to go do this running thing?” she whined.

Tom grinned, “Yes, love, I do. You could join me, you know.”

Emilia burrowed herself down into his soft sheets more and groaned. “Definitely not.”

He laughed at her reaction, putting his headphones in his ears and walking over to her side of the bed. Sitting down, he slipped his hand under the sheet and gently squeezed her thigh, then trailed his fingers up to her bare hip.

“Very well. Stay here, rummage about in the kitchen or take a shower if you wish,” he teased her, his fingers tracing the curve of her waist and down her hip.

Emilia pulled her lower lip between her teeth, her focus very much on the path of his hand. “You sure? I could go ahead back to my hotel, do what I need there and pack everything up.”

But Tom shook his head, “Nope. Stay here, Emilia. I won’t be long. Go back to sleep and when I return, we’ll take care of the hotel.”

She grinned, shifting her body and trying to get his hand to move between her thighs. “You seem awful keen to keep me here, hon.”

He chuckled, taking the hint and slowly slipping his hand up the inside of her thigh, just brushing against her center. She pulled in a soft breath, the burning need for him starting to slowly fan to life. After watching her for a moment, his fingers stroking her gently, he leaned in, pressing his mouth to hers. He gently tugged on her lower lip and then said softly, “You’re not chained to the bed, love. But that idea has possibilities.”

She laughed breathlessly at his joke and reached up, kissing him deeply. Then he pulled away with a regretful sigh and gently kissed her nose. “I won’t be long. See you in a bit.”

Emilia licked her lips and watched him go. The silence of his flat after the front door closed was different, but not something that made her feel odd. Briefly, she thought about what it would be like, to wake up like this every morning. Tom kiss her before he went to run and then she would slowly wake up, get dressed and ready for work. She would be making tea when he would come back, sweaty and out of breath. They would make little quips to each other, flirting, kissing, touching. Then she would kiss him goodbye before he went to shower.

It was a nice fairy tale, a nice little dream. With a sigh, Emilia rolled over on her stomach and hugged Tom’s pillow close to her, closing her eyes. But it would have to stay a dream and a dream only.

~*~*~*~

After Emilia check out of her hotel room, she had a very keen fear that the dynamic between her and Tom would change. And not for the better. She was very thankful she was wrong. It astonished her how easily things went along, how it wasn’t odd at all. She hated to sound like a love-struck teenager, but it was the truth. Though it had only been 10 days, it seemed like they had known each other a lot longer and Emilia couldn’t imagine what London would have been like without him.

They didn’t spend every waking moment together, but they were close to it, especially with her in his flat. He had meetings with reporters and his agent or rehearsals for the play he was going to star in. Over the past couple of days, he might meet up with friends or relatives and then come back to the flat where they would lounge around and order take-away. Or they would spend the morning and afternoon exploring before he’d leave for a dinner meeting and she would find a cafe to hole up in and write.

They weren’t technically a couple as neither had defined their relationship, and yet, Emilia woke up every morning in his arms, in his bed and she didn’t once think to second guess how comfortable she was with him. How she was content making plans over breakfast with Tom holding her hand or his warm palm resting on her thigh.

But those things didn’t make them a couple, did they? Emilia wasn’t sure about anything other than she didn’t know. You should know, Panicking Emilia whispered in her head. Your relationship should have some kind of definition, the voice demanded.

Emilia ignored it. It was easy to do, she found. Tom’s smiles and kisses helped.

On the 11th day, she was busy not thinking about the three days she had left, when Tom said something that surprised her.

“I need you to be my date tomorrow night,” he said nonchalantly, turning a page of the book he was reading.

Emilia looked up from her journal, confused. They were stretched out on a blanket in the park. It had become a nice fall back when they didn’t feel like doing much. Tom would read while she rested her head on his stomach and wrote.

She shifted to look at him better, “What was that?”

“I am meeting some co-stars, good friends, and I would like you to accompany me,” he replied smoothly. He then looked at her, “Please?”

She bit her lower lip. He hadn’t introduced her to anyone from his life yet … or at all. She didn’t even know if they knew about her.

Tom shifted, causing her to sit up, her back to him. “If you would rather not, Emilia, you are not required to. I just … I thought it would be nice to introduce you to Zach, Jaimie and Luke.”

“No, no, I would love to go,” she answered, barely glancing at him over her shoulder.

She felt him press his warm hand against her lower back and scoot so he was up against her. “Then why this sudden change of mood?”

Emilia took a deep breath and shrugged, “I’m just … I’m trying to wrap my mind around all of this, that’s all.”

Tom took a deep breath and she hated how his hand and body left her. She immediately missed the contact. Biting her lower lip, she turned back and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. “I want to. I’m sorry I’m being so silly,” she mumbled, attempting to salvage the moment. She had to stop letting her brain run away with ridiculous thoughts.

For a terrifying moment, Tom didn’t move at all. But then he let out a sigh, almost as if he was relieved, and wrapped his arms around her too. He kissed the top of her head. “You really don’t have to go, I promise. I just … I thought you might like to meet some important people in my life,” he said.

And that was exactly it. She did want to meet the important people in his life. She wanted to meet his friends. Even though it was scary as hell, she wanted to be introduced to his parents and his sisters. Better yet … Emilia wanted him to introduce her as someone just as important to him.

Girlfriend? a voice in her head asked. Suddenly, she wasn’t too proud to admit, yes, she would like a definition such as that.

But she could never say that to him.

“Of course I want to.”

That appeased him, as she knew it would. He tipped her face up and gave her a smacking kiss. “Good, because I have a surprise for you.” With that, he moved from behind her and stood.

Emilia’s brown scrunched in confusion. “A surprise?”

“Yes. Up you get, I’m famished,” he said in reply.

“What surprise, Tom?” she asked again, her eyes narrowing.

He only laughed, “You’ll see.”

Thankfully yet unfortunately, the surprise was a dress. Emilia had come back to his flat the following afternoon after running down to a local bookstore to find Tom on the phone, a smile on his face. She gave him a confused look as she slipped off her coat.

“Problem?” she mouthed to him.

He shook his head and then grinned like a three-year-old with a new toy. “Bedroom,” he mouthed back, pointing back to his bedroom for further emphasis.

She chuckled softly, shaking her head as she walked down the short hallway to the room. There, laying on his white duvet, was a very interesting, very sexy black dress. She stared at it leeringly, as if it were a snake that might bite her at any minute. A man had never bought her a dress before - like, actually went out without her and bought a dress. It was flattering and overwhelming at the same time.

Emilia walked to the edge of the bed, gently touching the hem with her fingers, worrying over a bunch of things at once. She was only slightly startled when she felt his arms come around her and his lips press into her neck.

“What do you think?” he whispered, kissing up to her ear. “I thought those beige heels you wore on our first date would be perfect with this.”

Emilia swallowed hard. “Yeah… Tom, how did you…”

“It was at that shop you bought your pretty blue dress from,” he said, nibbling on her earlobe and causing her breath to catch. “As luck would have it, the same saleswoman was there to help me get everything right.”

Slowly, she felt a smile spread across her face as she took in the dress and the gesture. “Tom, this is… this is fantastic.” She turned in the circle of his arms, cupping his face in her hands. “Thank you.”

After she kissed him thoroughly, he grinned, resting his forehead against hers. “I don’t want you to be nervous tonight. And I thought, one of the ways I can help is making sure you feel especially beautiful. Because you are.”

She smiled softly, “You are so adorable, you know that?”

He shrugged, “I try.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed at him, but he stayed firm in his spot, pulling her back to him as she tried to move away. He kissed her soundly, his hands moving down over her ass and squeezing. Emilia responded by gently sinking her teeth into his bottom lip.

“Not fair,” he growled, pressing her body against him harder, which made her giggle.

“You started it,” she whispered, cupping his face in her hands as she kissed him slowly, a lazy promise of what she wanted to do to him.

He groaned, “We should be getting ready or we’ll be late.” Even though his words suggested they should part, Tom made no move to detangle himself from her body.

So Emilia went for the coup de gras. Her fingernails raked down his scalp gently, which she knew made him shiver. Her tongue then barely flicked his upper lip. “Up to you,” she said softly, pulling back enough to look in his eyes. “But being late would be worth all the fun we’d have.”

That did it. Tom sealed his mouth over hers, a hungry sound leaving him as he pushed her back to the bed.

“Tom… the dress!” she squealed out in surprised as he dumped her on the bed next to said garment.

“It’s fine. Now,” he pulled back grinning, pushing her sweater up. “Let’s get you out of these clothes.”

They were late; not because he blew her mind at least twice before he let her up to get dressed. No, they were late because once she put on the dress, stockings, shoes and did her make up and hair, he perched her on the kitchen counter, hiked up her skirt and slipped inside her one more time before they left. Emilia was floating on cloud nine and didn’t feel nervous at all.

She was surprised when Tom said he would be driving, which suggested to Emilia this reunion wasn’t going to be as rowdy as she might anticipate. Then again, he had told her Luke, his agent, would be among those she would meet and she couldn’t imagine his agent sitting idly by and allowing shenanigans to take place. They drove to South Kensington and parked outside of a very nice looking restaurant.

As they waited to pull up for the valet, Emilia looked over to see Tom staring at her. She felt herself blush slightly, “What?”

He grinned and took her hand, “Nothing. Just thinking about how lucky I am to have such a gorgeous woman on my arm tonight.”

She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, “You looking to get in my panties again later?”

“Emilia,” he started, pulling her hand over to his thigh. She looked up at him and the serious look on his features made her bite her bottom lip. “I truly mean that.” He licked his lips and looked down at their hands clasped on his thigh. “I don’t know why you even bothered to talk with me that day at the cafe, but … I am very glad you did.”

“Tom,” she said softly, tugging on his hand. When he looked over at her again, she leaned toward him, placing her other hand on his cheek. She gently kissed his lips, squeezing his hand. “I don’t regret anything about the last two weeks. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

He gave her a bright smile, a grateful one too, she thought, and leaned back in to kiss her slowly. They were still kissing when the valet politely tapped on Tom’s window. With a small laugh, Tom opened the door and the two made their way inside for dinner.

Luke Windsor was everything she expected he’d be. Not only did it seem like he and Tom were very good friends, but he was very good looking, professional and…

“Well, I cannot believe Thomas was able to convince a beautiful girl like you to let him show you around London,” Luke said with a smirk as soon as the three of them were seated at a table.

Emilia laughed, “Oh, so is the good-natured ribbing to commence?” she asked, looking between the both of them.

Luke shrugged and then gave her a mega-watt smile, one that could rival Tom’s. She briefly wondered why he didn’t become a movie star himself. “Good-natured ribbing is to always be assumed, isn’t it Tom?” Luke asked.

Tom only rolled his eyes, but Emilia could see the smirk he was fighting off as he took a sip of his wine. At the lack of response from Tom, Luke leaned toward Emilia and took her hand, “It all stems from the fact that I’m better looking than he is.”

Emilia laughed and looked to Tom, “Hmm, I think you might have something.”

Tom looked at her, his eyes widening, “Do you need me to leave you both alone?”

“So I can tell her all your dirty, dark secrets? Sure mate, go for it,” Luke grinned brightly again, releasing Emilia’s hand and leaning back in his chair. Tom had told Emilia a lot about Luke, so she knew he was only teasing, not actually flirting. It was still a little funny to see Tom’s eyes narrow a bit at them.

Emilia laughed again, “Now that sounds promising. I like secrets.”

“Luke, stop baiting her,” Tom chastised, but she couldn’t ignore how he placed his hand on her thigh, right in Luke’s line of vision.

“Is this a game you two play?” she asked. “One of you brings a significant other and the other flirts with them mercilessly and promises secrets and stories of embarrassment?”

Neither man answered, but by the smirk on Luke’s face and the fact Tom would not lower his wine glass from his mouth told her she was right. “It is, isn’t it?” she giggled, turning to Tom. “So does this mean you’ve flirted with Luke’s boyfriends?”

Luke laughed so hard, Emilia almost felt bad. Almost.

“Oh, I do like her,” Luke said after his laughter subsided. “She’ll keep you on your toes.”

The look Tom gave Emilia made her feel warm all over. “Yeah, I have to say she does.”

Dinner came and went. Luke was the one Emilia had been the most nervous to meet, but by the time they finished their meal and wine, Emilia felt like she had known him forever. It was so baffling, just as it had been with Tom. But Luke seemed to like her, approve of her and to her, that was two huge points in her favor.

Now it was time for two other good friends.

Tom wouldn’t tell Emilia what club they were going to, only that it was very high-end, catered to celebrities and other famous people and she wouldn’t have to worry about being photographed. It was the first time he had mentioned the possibility and really the first time she had thought about it.

They parked a bit away from the club and waited for Luke before the three walked up the street. Emilia looked around curiously, wondering where this club was, when she finally spotted the line out of a very small area. The Boujis.

“Oh,” Emilia breathed, realizing she had heard that name before. Tom wasn’t lying about it being high-end.

After Luke gave their names, the doorman let them into the dark club. Emilia gripped Tom’s had as he followed Luke toward the back. She wondered if they would be able to find Tom’s other friends in the slight chaos of the club, but her fears eased as she heard a man yell out his name.

“Hey, mate, how are you?!” Tom said excitedly, wrapping his arms around a tall man Emilia thought looked vaguely familiar. He was dressed nice as well, a white button down, tie and black trousers. She couldn’t hear exactly what he said to Tom in response, but she could hear he had an American accent.

When they pulled back, Emilia could see a woman stand up and smile at Tom as well. She was gorgeous, thin as a rail with her brunette hair cut in a very cute bob. Tom hugged her as well, kissing both of her cheeks. “Hello, Jaimie, darling, how are you?”

Emilia watched them with a small smile, marveling at this new side of Tom she was getting a chance to see. It wasn’t so different than what she was used to. But more people in a setting added a different feel, and she could see his more playful side coming to light.

Tom was going on and on about something to the two newest members of their group, and Emilia could see his friend - who she had finally realized was Zach Levi - keep looking from Tom to her and back. Finally, he cleared his throat, interrupting Tom, and looking to Emilia again.

“You brought somebody,” he said, his voice holding a hint of surprise and for the first time that night, Emilia felt a rush of nerves.

Tom quickly turned to Emilia, smiling brightly. His arm went around her shoulder and pulled her up to their small circle. “I want you guys to meet my Emilia,” he said, squeezing her to him tightly.

My Emilia. The phrase caught her a bit, but she had no time to respond as Zach was smiling at her and holding out his hand for her to shake.

Looking at Zach, Emilia took his hand, “Zach, it’s nice to meet you. I loved Tangled. My best friend’s daughter has me act out the movie with her dolls every time I’m over,” she said in a rush, her embarrassment and nerves taking full hold.

Emilia quickly dropped Zach’s hand and looked to Tom, feeling sick. “Oh I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

He laughed a bit and then kissed her forehead, “Yes, but it’s endearing.”

Zach let out a laugh too, “I have to say, that’s pretty awesome. I’m guessing she’s Rapunzel, who would that make you?”

Emilia bit her bottom lip, “Pretty much everyone else, … so basically you.”

Another laugh, “That’s freakin’ awesome.”

Okay, Emilia thought with a grin. Feel a little better now.

“You’ll have to excuse these two children. I’m Jaimie Alexander. It’s a great pleasure to meet you,” the beautiful woman said as they shook hands.

Emilia smiled, “It’s great to meet you, too. I love your dress, it’s gorgeous.”

“Thank you! Likewise, did you buy that here in the city?”

Emilia nodded, “Yeah. I mean, actually Tom bought it…”

A small, almost knowing smile lit Jaimie’s face as she looked to Tom then back to Emilia. “Well, you look amazing.”

Things are going okay, Emilia thought vaguely. See, nothing to worry about…

Zach’s laughter punctuated the moment again. “Dude, I really didn’t think you were going to bring a date.”

Emilia felt her eyes go wide as she turned to Tom. Good lord, did he not tell them that she was coming?!? Embarrassment started to build up again. But Tom, as if sensing her impending panic, slipped his palm down to her lower back in a comforting gesture.

“Zach, I told you I was bringing her,” he argued.

“Yeah, but …” Zach trailed off, looking to Emilia, then Tom and then Jaimie. “Well, I thought you were joking.”

There was a very awkward moment then as the three friends looked at each other and Emilia thought about slinking away and letting them have their evening together without her. As friendly as Zach seemed, it was almost like he didn’t really want the intrusion Emilia apparently presented.

She watched as the smile fell from Tom’s face. “Why would I joke about that?” he asked, a harsh edge to his voice.

Zach laughed nervously, putting his hands in his pockets, giving Tom a strange look. “Well, it’s just kinda funny because…”

It was at that moment a short, curvy brunette pushed between Luke and Jaimie into their smaller circle. “Hey losers, it took me damn forever to find you. Who’s idea was it to come here anyway?”

Tom visibly stiffened next to Emilia, his hand on her back, pressing a bit harder. Utterly confused, Emilia looked from him over to the new woman who had joined their small party. She was a bit shorter than Emilia with a smaller waist, but definite curves that she didn’t mind showing off. Her brunette hair was long and in waves and in the light, Emilia could see her pale skin was set out by her perfect cat-eye make up and bright red lipstick. She was very, very pretty and Emilia suddenly felt more self-conscious than when she met Jaimie.

It was at that moment the addition to their group looked over and caught sight of Tom. A very flirtatious smile came to her lips and she sauntered up to him. “Well, if it isn’t Tom Hiddleston.”

Tom shifted uneasily on his feet and swallowed hard. “Yeah, hey Kat.”

She went in for a hug and Emilia was sure a blind person could feel the awkwardness from the action. When they pulled apart, Kat opened her mouth to say something, but stopped short when she apparently caught sight of Emilia standing awkwardly among the group.

“Oh, who’s this?” she asked, curiosity in her voice.

Tom put his arm back around Emilia in what felt like a possessive gesture. “Kat, this is my date, Emilia Conners.”

Then is clicked. Emilia’s eyes went wide and she laughed a bit, “Oh, hey, you’re Kat Dennings! Wow, it’s so nice to meet you!”

But Kat didn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm over the meeting. The handshake was very briefly and if Emilia had to describe it, she would say it wasn’t even worth the effort. “You’re Tom’s date,” she said slowly, as if testing the idea out and not liking it one bit. “Well, isn’t that just lovely.”

Emilia felt her excited demeanor fall a bit and then chanced a glance over at Tom. He didn't look happy at all. In fact, he and Kat made quite the pair at the moment with their stares, both filled with unhappy expressions. Nervously, Emilia looked to Luke, who took a deep breath.

“Why don’t we all sit down and order some drinks?” he said, true to PR handler fashion. The man was an expert at wrangling celebrities and suddenly Emilia thought it was very fortunate he was there tonight.

The group set around the table on the plush cushions of the sofa/circular booth hidden in their little alcove. The waitress really couldn’t come soon enough, Emilia thought. The conversation between the friends and her was light, but the unexpected arrival of Kat added something weird to the vibe. Emilia sat up ramrod straight, feeling either very aware of Kat shooting daggers at her with her eyes or completely and utterly paranoid.

Tom, in an apparent attempt to calm his date, put an arm around Emilia and drew her near, pressing his lips to her temple. Zach and Jaimie, bless their hearts, were trying to alleviate the situation the group suddenly found themselves in and Emilia was glad they did their best to make her just as apart of the conversation as Tom or Kat. Luke just sat, giving his own death glares to Kat and reassuring smiles to Emilia.

To Emilia, the whole damn thing was quickly turning into a catastrophe.

Thankfully the waitress showed up for drink orders and Emilia thought she could hug her, she was so glad to see the petite little blonde. When she left, Emilia was surprised when Kat stood and excused herself not long after and disappeared into the crowd.

“Well, I always said she made things interesting,” Luke joked, settling back into his seat. Only Emilia wasn’t so sure he was joking.

Jaimie rolled her eyes, “Let’s try to refrain from being complete children.”

“I will if she will,” Luke retorted.

“So,” Zach started, clearly to diffuse whatever discussion Luke was itching to have. “Emilia, how did you and Tom meet?”

Emilia looked over at Tom, hesitating. But he just smiled and slung an arm around her. “Well,” she started, “I was sitting in a cafe and Tom came over and asked to sit with me.”

“That’s sweet,” Jaimie remarked with a smile. “I’m baffled you let him.”

Emilia laughed, “Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking,” she joked.

“Hey,” Tom said, pouting. Emilia smiled and leaned into him, indulging herself in a kiss, almost forgetting the others were there.

“He likes to think of himself as a shy, little romantic,” Luke commented as the waitress dropped off their drinks.

“I’ll give him credit,” Emilia started as Tom handed her drink to her. “He really has put the charm on me.”

The two of them shared a small smile, one that Emilia knew had him thinking about everything over the past days. She was thinking it too and her face flushed.

It was at that moment Kat reappeared, walking over to Emilia and Tom. A drink in hand, she stood before the couple and then turned and Emilia had to jump away from Tom so Kat wouldn’t sit on her. Now, Emilia was wedged between Luke and Kat and looked over at Tom, raising an eyebrow and feeling a prick of annoyance.

“Soooo,” Kat drew out, throwing an arm back around Tom’s shoulders and looking over at Emilia, “What are you crazy kids talking about?”

Before anyone could respond, Jaimie immediately jumped in, laughing lightly, “Oh nothing, just catching up you know. It’s been so long since any of us all sat around and talked.”

Even Emilia could tell she was trying to keep the peace. There was something between Kat and Tom, some kind of past there. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out, though. They had thing once, and judging by Kat’s reaction to Emilia, it hadn’t ended well. And probably recently too; the girl was acting as if the wound of the breakup was still fresh. This knowledge did not ease her mind. In fact, she felt like getting up to leave.

“Oh yeah, that’s great you know,” Kat said, before taking a long drawl of her drink. “That we can all get together again like this, just us. Or I thought it was just us, isn’t that what you said, Zach?”

“Kat, don’t,” Zach started and Emilia shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Kat ignored the interruption. “But oh, Tom thought it was okay to bring a date anyway. And now it’s awkward, isn’t it Tom?”

Yeah, now Emilia was sure she was right about that whole past-relationship-ending-badly thing. Her whole run-away instinct was kicking into full gear. Maybe Tom was wrong to bring her to meet them. Clearly they had plans of it just being them, catching up, and now she was here, ruining the moment, even if that wasn’t her intent. When she made a move to stand, Luke put a hand on her knee and shook his head. The look in his eye was sympathetic and soft, telling her that though it was embarrassing, she needed to stay put. Emilia drew in a long breath, looking down at her hands resting in her lap.

Before anymore could be said, Zach stood suddenly, smoothing down his button up shirt. “Emilia, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind me stealing you away for a dance?”

Emilia was sure the way she jumped to her feet looked entirely too eager, but she was desperate to get away from Kat and more than desperate to be rid of the awkwardness suffocating her. “Of course,” she said, trying her best to smile as she took Zach’s offered hand. She couldn’t explain why, but she avoided looking over at Tom.

That bugged her a little as Zach smiled at her and led her toward the dance floor. Why should she have to look at Tom anyway. Emilia didn’t need his permission to do anything. She certainly didn’t need his permission to get away from Kat’s sharp and pointed insults. Lord knew he wasn’t doing anything to help her out in that regard.

Zach was a hilarious dancer and she thanked her lucky stars he kept the conversation light. And away from the big huge pink elephant in the room. But Emilia was always too curious for her own good and did the thing she knew she shouldn’t.

“Okay, what’s the deal?” she asked.

Zach, bless him, laughed and tried to play it off. “What are you talking about?”

Emilia gave him a deadpan look. “Come on, I feel like I’m not getting the punch line of the joke.”

He didn't grace her with a verbal answer. But the deep breath he drew in was pretty telling.

“Zach, I don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize they have a past, okay. I just wanna know what it was,” she said, her tone a bit more defeated than she would have liked it to be.

“So you really don’t know?” he asked.

She let out a scoff, “Obviously I don’t.”

He sighed again, his eyes inadvertently shifting back toward their table. Emilia’s eyes followed his and she saw Kat’s body turned toward Tom, her hands flying all about as she talked. Tom managed to at least put a bit of a distance between them, but not enough for Emilia’s like.

“They were a thing, for a while, when they were filming the first Thor movie,” Zach said.

The first Thor movie, Emilia repeated in her mind, racking for knowledge of when that happened. “When was this?” she asked.

“Back in like, 2010. Jaimie told me they were pretty hot and heavy for a while…”

“So did they just recently break up or something?” she interrupted.

Zach shook his head, “Dude, no. They actually broke up at the end of the filming of the first one, a month or so after I think. When we were filming the second one, they saw each other here and there, but trust me, they weren’t together hardly at all.”

Emilia felt like a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. With Kat’s attitude, she had begun to fear that the break up had been recent. And while she found herself not caring two shakes about Kat’s feelings, the thought Emilia was a rebound for Tom - a convenient one at that - to get over the relationship made her sick to her stomach. Zach’s words reassured her more than she could have ever hoped for.

Zach studied her face as all her emotions apparently fluttered across her features. “Don’t worry,” he said with a cheeky grin. “He was ready to be done and over with Kat. So there’s nothing lingering there.”

Emilia swallowed hard and nodded, “Yeah. I mean, Tom and I are just kinda figuring things out now anyway, you know.”

He gave her a curious look that she was starting to not like. “How long have you guys been dating?”

She swallowed hard, “I don’t know if you’d call it dating… We meet almost two weeks ago. But I’m leaving in two days, so I’m not really sure...”

“Wait,” Zach interrupted her, looking really baffled. “You’re leaving in two days? You don’t live in London?”

Emilia pursed her lips. “Yeah, I’m just here on holiday.”

His eyes widened. “Wow… I mean, wow.”

Panic crept up. “Wow? Wait, why wow?”

Zach then laughed, “Nothing, nothing I swear. I just thought you lived here … and just happened to be American…”

Emilia sighed, “Zach, you’re bad at deflecting. Also, you’re one of his best friends. You saying ‘Wow’ like that kinda freaks me out.”

“Well,” he started slowly. “Tom usually doesn’t do short-term flings. You know, he’s not very good at … them.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Um, okay.”

The songs changed and the energy on the floor with it. Zach took hold of her hand, “Hey, forget it, okay? Looks like things have settled over there. Let’s get you back to Prince Charming, huh?”

She nodded absentmindedly and allowed him to guide her back to the group. Her mind kept rolling over what Zach said though. Tom didn’t do flings; so what was the deal with her? To be fair, Emilia didn’t do flings either, but … she was on vacation. And technically, so was he.

Kat was gone when they arrived and Emilia couldn’t ignore how relieved she was. Luke was gone as well, business call according to Jaimie, but Emilia barely noticed as she was drowning in her thoughts. When she was close enough, Tom’s hand circled around her wrist and he brought her down onto his lap.

“Tom,” she said surprised as she tried to gracefully adjust the hem of her dress.

But he ignored her small protest. His hand slipped around her neck and pulled her face to his. There was nothing she could do but accept the kiss he pressed against her lips because even though they were in a compromising position, in front of his friends no less, she had been itching to kiss him ever since that punk ex-girlfriend of his had shown up. She didn’t want to “stake a claim” because that was ridiculous… no, no, she wanted to stake her claim.

Tom was hers now, for as long as she could keep him. Kat wasn’t getting him back.

Her hand pressed against his heart, feeling the rushed beat as their kissing continued. Tom’s wide palm slipped down her back, seductively along the zipper of her dress, and Emilia opened her mouth just enough to moan into him softly.

“Hey, hey! You both are a PR disaster waiting to happen,” Luke chastised, a grin on his face as he came back to the circle.

Emilia pulled back slowly and Tom grinned at her, his hand squeezing her hip before he looked behind her to Luke, “Come on, mate. It’s Boujis. I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

Emilia let out a breath, her nerves feeling calmer now. She tried to slip from his lap, but he wouldn’t let her. After everything, she decided she was pretty content to let him keep her trapped against him.

The group fell into an easy, fun conversation. Emilia laughed at the antics of Tom and Zach and found she really, really liked Jaimie, who was a complete sweet heart. She wished she had more time to maybe get to know the actress a bit more, maybe hang out around London a bit. It had been a while since the waitress had come around to check on them, so Zach proclaimed they needed another round.

He looked to Jaimie and grinned, “Can I get ya a drink, babe?”

Emilia watched as the woman’s eyes went wide a bit, startled obviously by the endearment he used. “Um, yes, yes please.”

Her attention was drawn away from the cuteness of Zach and Jaimie when Tom squeezed her hip, causing her to look at him. His hand gently went through her hair, “Would you like a drink, darling?”

She grinned, “Yes, I would, thank you.”

He smirked, “Can I interest you in a whiskey sour tonight?”

Emilia laughed, “Yes, please.”

“Your wish is my command,” Tom replied, leaning up and kissing her briefly before depositing her on the couch and getting up to follow Zach and Luke to the bar.

When they had gone, Jaimie looked over at Emilia and grinned. “You guys look really good together, you know that?”

Emilia felt her cheeks flush, “You think?”

“Definitely,” Jaimie said with a nod.

Emilia sighed, “It’s just… it’s weird you know? I’ve known him for less than two weeks, but I feel like I’ve known him for ages. Things are easy with him, we get along really well. I feel good with him.”

“That’s good though, right?” the other woman asked. “Being that comfortable so quickly. You guys could make something work then.”

Emilia swallowed hard and shrugged, “Maybe. I mean, I can’t be foolish enough to think…”

She should have figured that she couldn’t go the rest of the night without a reappearance from Kat. And that’s exactly what happened in that moment. Plopping down again next to Emilia, the grin the brunette gave her was so fake, Emilia was tempted to tell her not to bother trying.

“How did you and Tom meet again?” she asked, taking a drink.

Emilia pursed her lips and looked over at Jaimie. “At a cafe.”

“Well isn’t that sweet? Kinda like a movie, isn’t it? So romantic. Has a Shakespeare quality to it in a way...”

Feeling her irritation rise, Emilia sat a little taller and gave Kat a pointed look. “Yes, you could say that.”

Kat smirked, “So, you’re American. You don’t live here in London though, do you?”

“No, actually, my vacation is almost up.”

Kat laughed and looked over at Jaimie, “Well how convenient is that! Tom getting into a short relationship with a woman. Though, I am surprised about him seeing you if you’re only around for two weeks.”

“Kat,” Jaimie warned.

“You see, Emilia, Tom likes to draw things out,” Kat continued, giving Emilia a very stern look. “Likes to get you to think you’re gonna be something and then dumps you because he can’t handle it.”

Jaimie scoffed, “Kat, cut it out.”

Emilia was bristling at that point. How dare she. She wouldn’t hate Kat for being hurt or still dealing with her feelings for Tom, but that didn’t mean she had to sit there and be treated as if she was some dirty mistress or something.

“Look, Kat, I’m not naive here. It’s pretty obvious you and Tom didn’t end well. But the end of your relationship with him was not my fault,” Emilia started. She mustered up her best badass look, “Tom is with me now. We didn’t know you were going to be here, so if you think he’s using me to throw in your face, you’re wrong. You haven’t let go of him yet, and maybe it’s time you tried.”

Kat looked as if she might try to scratch Emilia’s eyes out. “I haven’t let go yet? You have no idea about anything.”

“Maybe you need to cool off, Kat,” Jaimie tried to interject again.

“Did you know last year when we were filming, he was trying to get back in my pants?” Kat accused. “Every day, he was trying to woo me like he’s doing you now. He does it for fucking kicks.”

“Okay, that’s it, you’re done.” Jaimie stood, “Come on, Emilia.”

“What?!” Kat laughed. “I’m just trying to do the girl a favor! She needs to prepare herself. Cause you know Tom, he can spout some pretty words and make her feel amazing, but then he’ll just turn around and leave. Because that’s what Hiddleston does. He leaves. He doesn’t fight for you, he doesn’t come find you or show up to sweep you off to a happily ever after. It’s all a joke.”

Jaimie grabbed Emilia’s hand and pulled the girl up, not saying a word. Emilia was honestly stunned by Kat’s outburst, the things she was saying. She found herself glad Jaimie had taken control of the situation because Emilia was so pissed, she was ready to give Kat a piece of her damn mind. Tom wasn’t like that, not at all….

But do you really know that? Kat’s known him for a few years. You’ve known him for two weeks.

After the two women made it to the bathroom, Jaimie leaned against the sink counter and let out a heavy breath. “Emilia, I’m so sorry about her. Really, she’s not a terrible person. I think you’re right, she just hasn’t given up on Tom yet.”

“It’s okay,” Emilia breathed out, trying to calm herself. down.

“No, it really isn’t. Zach and I had no clue she was in London. And when she called me out of the blue, well, we didn’t think to tell her no. Unfortunately, Zach neglected to tell me Tom had mentioned you. If I had known…”

Emilia sighed heavily and then gently laid a hand on Jaimie’s shoulder, “Seriously, it’s okay. You are not at fault for her losing her head. I’m okay, really.”

Jaimie gave her a rueful smile, “She’s really not like this.”

“Yeah, but she’s a ray of fucking sunshine tonight, isn’t she?” Emilia quipped with a laugh.

Jaimie laughed with her at that and after a moment, all the ire left Emilia like a heavy breath. She pursed her lips and turned to the mirror. “To be honest… I’m afraid she’s got a point.”

“What do you mean?”

Emilia ran her fingers through her hair, “I don’t know what Tom and I are. I don’t know where we’re headed. I’m leaving in two days, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. I’m afraid he thinks we’re just gonna end things happily but … I don’t think I can do that.”

Jaimie put her hand on Emilia’s arm now. “Hey, Tom isn’t like that, okay? It’s going to work out. I meant what I said earlier. I think you two can figure something out.”

Emilia tries to push her emotions down. “Yeah?”

“I’ve watched you two all night. There’s something between the both of you… something that makes him grin like a fool. The way he looks at you, Em, I can tell he really cares for you.”

The words soothed the worry and Emilia smiled at her, “Thank you. Coming from one of his good friends… I really appreciate that.”

Jaimie then surprised her by wrapping her arms around her in a hug and Emilia laughed softly, hugging her back. When they parted, Emilia grinned, “So, what’s up with you and Zach?”

A pink tint flushed across Jaimie’s cheeks, “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh come on, you guys have been flirting all night.”

Jaimie shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe he’ll ask me out while we’re here. Although, I’m not holding my breath.”

Emilia grinned, “Ask him to get coffee tomorrow. Maybe he needs a push in the right direction.”

The other woman laughed, “Or a smack upside the head. I swear, I could kiss him and he probably wouldn’t get it.”

“That’s always an opinion,” Emilia teased.

The two talked a bit more and freshened up their lipstick before heading back out to the table to see if the guys had returned. Back at the group’s little alcove, Emilia was surprised to see Kat still there, back in the corner, staring at her phone, while the boys were talking and laughing.

Once again, when Emilia and Jaimie approached, Tom took hold of Emilia’s arm and tried to coax her into sitting on his lap. She didn’t however. Very aware of Kat’s eyes on them and still feeling a little sorry for the other woman, even if she had been pissy, Emilia settled for sitting next to him and pressing up against his side.

This was apparently what he didn’t want; she didn’t realize until she sat down that he looked worried. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

She gave him her loveliest smile, pressing a palm to his cheek and pecking his lips. “Everything’s just fine.”

Emilia didn’t have to look behind her to know Kat was probably staring a hole through her head, imagining ways to decapitate her.

Sure enough, after Tom pulled Emilia close for another kiss, Kat was on her feet and walking around the table. “Well, as fun as this reunion hasn’t been, I am going to go. It was good seeing you guys. Maybe we can meet up when it can just be us.” And with that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

“Thank God for small favors,” Luke said into his drink.

Emilia sighed. Now that she had a chance to think about it and not let her anger cloud her judgment, she really did feel for Kat. She even started to wonder if she would become just as bitter after she left Tom and went home…

“I’m so sorry for all that, Emilia,” Tom said, his voice deep with regret. “I didn’t know that she was going to be here…”

Emilia swallowed hard and shook her head, turning to smile at him. “No, no. It’s okay. Really. Don’t worry about it.”

She reached to the table, grabbing her drink and downing half of it quickly, attempting to forget the moment Kat walked up and the night went all kinds of weird. Emilia could feel Tom’s eyes on her, assessing how truthful she was being and she desperately wished he would just let it go. Thankfully, he must have read her thoughts. When she sat her glass back down, Tom gently cupped her chin, turning her face to him and kissing her deeply.

For a moment, Emilia forgot where they were. Her hands slipped over his shoulders, one moving up the back of his neck to tangle in his hair. She barely heard Zach tell them to get a room and when Tom finally released her mouth, her head was spinning.

The song changed out on the dance floor and Tom grinned, “You wanna dance?”

Emilia’s heart skipped. “Yes, please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy. Crap. This chapter was a bitch to write.
> 
> A few notes on things I just feel like I should clarify. I do not hate Kat. I think she's a wonderful, lovely person. I was a fan of hers way before Tom. It's just ... my muses made her a pain in the ass. I couldn't help it.  
> Also, I have no idea what the status of Jaimie and Zach's separate love lives' is, but I totally ship them. And this is fiction, so there. :P
> 
> Thank you guys for all the kudos, comments, etc. I appreciate you all so much!! xoxo


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, I meant to put this up a long, long, long, long time ago, but I got distracted by other things and forgot and I feel horrible!!! So I hope you guys enjoy this to wind down 2013.  
> This chapter is definitely, definitely, definitely NSFW. Also, I think you guys will like me, then hate me at the end. Also, also, … two more chapters and then we will be at the end of our little drama :S  
> Happy New Year to you all and thank you for reading!

Eight

_Two days, two days, two days…._

It was a mantra that had been haunting Emilia since she stirred awake earlier that morning. Her holiday in London would be over in two-day’s time. She and Tom had not talked about what they were going to be after she left and Emilia admittedly was still a tad upset over the encounter with Kat the night before. Not to mention all the crap going through her mind after the conversations from the night at the club with said “lovely” ex.

When Tom had pulled her up against him that morning and burrowed his face in her neck, kissing her skin lightly and asking what she wanted to do that day, Emilia was more than happy to tell him nothing. She waited for him to leave her to go for his run, but he didn’t budge, apparently happy to oblige her silent plea for him not to leave her just yet.

 

She dozed for a bit more and when she woke again, he was gone and the shower was running.

Emilia coaxed herself from the warm covers and pulled on a tank top and pair of panties before padding out to the kitchen for tea. By the time Tom was out of the shower, she was back in bed, a book in her lap and the radio playing softly as she sipped from her cup.

“Comfy?” he asked, causing her eyes to glance up at him. She immediately dropped them back down to her place in her book, but then did a double take. He stood a few steps away from the edge of the bed, toweling off his short hair, just a pair of dark blue boxers hanging low on his hips.

Emilia pulled the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes taking a much slower path up his body. “Yes, as a matter of fact,” she answered softly. “Is that a problem?”

Tom shrugged, keeping a nonchalant look on his face. “Depends.”

“On?” she asked, trying to look back down at her book.  _Come on, Em, you can do it. Take your eyes off the really attractive, half-naked man._ With a great struggle, she finally turned her eyes down.

“If staying in bed, looking exactly like that, is the plan for the day.”

She nodded, “Pretty much,” she said just as nonchalant as he had.

“Won’t you get stir crazy? Need to go do something?” he asked, walking up to the end of his bed.

This time she marked her spot and put her book on the nightstand next to her tea. “Why, are you stir crazy already?”

Another shrug. “I’m feeling a little restless.”

Emilia pursed her lips, “You should have went for a run before your shower.”

“I did,” Tom answered, and then sighed, bouncing on his feet a bit. “I feel a little pent up energy this morning. Running didn’t get it all out.”

She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and shifted her body around, crawling to the end of the bed. Tom’s eyes stayed focused on her, darkening as he followed her movement toward him. At the foot of the bed, Emilia came up on her knees so that she was eye level with him.

Her arms slowly went around his neck as he didn’t waste a moment reaching for her hips. “Well, maybe we need to think of something to get that pent up energy out.”

He nodded, leaning in to kiss her, “Yes, I agree.”

Smirking, Emilia moved her hands to glide over his shoulders, her lips ghosting over his. Tom tightened his grip on her, but she pulled back and pushed him away, grinning as she scrambled out of his reach and off the bed. He narrowed his eyes at her standing on the far side of the bed and went to follow, his long arms reaching for her. But she was a tad quicker, anticipating his move, and quickly ran across the top of the bed to the opposite side.

Tom stared at her across the bed, his blue eyes dark, “What in the world are you doing?”

Emilia grinned, “Making you work for it.”

“So… rough-housing,” he said incredulously. “That’s your idea of helping me work out pent up energy? That’s not exactly what I had in mind.”

“I know,” she quipped. “But imagine how much more fun we’re gonna have.”

“We could be having a lot of fun in another way,” he said in a deep tone.

“Hmm,” she teased. “I guess we could be, but you’ll have to catch me first.”

Tom shook his head and made to jump over the bed after her. Emilia grinned and took off toward the bathroom, only to let out a squeal of laughter as he predicted her move and reached out to snag her arm. He laughed in triumph, pulling her back and tossing her toward the bed.

She bounced once and then scrambled back to her feet, attempting to get around him. But Tom wrapped his arms about her and swung her away from her path, facing the bed once more. Laughing, Emilia playfully pushed back against him to loosen his hold as she turned them. The momentum had Tom lose his footing and both of them tumbling back.

He hit the bed, but she was lucky enough to pull back and - though she wobbled - stayed on her feet. She laughed and then quickly straddled him on the bed, holding his hands above his head. “See?” she said, a little out of breath. “We’re working out some tension.”

Tom grunted and then pushed up with his frame, catching her by surprise as they tumbled over and slipped rather unceremoniously onto the floor. Luckily it wasn’t a far or hard fall and there was a nice, plush rug on the floor to break their landing. Plus, Tom landed first. Emilia groaned at her impact anyway and then laughed, trying to scramble away from him.

“Oh no, you don’t! Come here!” Tom called out playfully, latching on to her ankle and pulling her back into him.

Her giggles and his chuckles echoed through the room as he covered her body with his. Emilia wrapped herself around him using her arms and legs, pressing her face into his neck and breathing deeply. The smell of soap and clean skin emanating from him was intoxicating.

Tom pressed his lips to her temple and tickled her side, making her squeal with laughter and push him off her so that he was sitting up. He stared down at her with a large grin and Emilia narrowed her eyes, fighting her own smile as she moved up and pushed at his shoulders, both of them falling to the carpet again. He rolled away from her at the same time she tried to pin him down again.

A breathless chuckle left him as she draped her upper body over his back, her hands caressing down his arms which were spread out from his body. “You’re feeling me up, Emilia,” he chastised.

She grinned, dragging her palms back up his skin. “It’s my game, I’ll do whatever the hell I want.”

“Oh, that makes everything fair game then,” he shot back, rolling over as she pulled back. He could be quick, she’d give him that, especially since he surprised her when he sat up quickly and wrapped his long arms around her legs and pulled.

She was sent on her back and a giggle rippled through her as Tom wrapped her legs around his waist and then grabbed her arms to tug her up against him. He pressed his lips against her neck and Emilia gave a breathless sigh. She then pulled back enough to look into his eyes, her fingers carding through his damp, dark ginger curls. Tom licked his lips, his eyes raking over her features and she couldn’t help but feel a warm, loving smile curl her lips.

“What’s that look then?” he questioned, his hands squeezing her hips.

She tightened her thighs around him and moved her palms over his shoulders and then down his chest as she leaned back and let her back touch the floor again. “Just admiring,” she grinned up at him.

“Do you concede finally?” Tom’s voice was like velvet yet rumbled like rock all at the same time, his hands moving up and down her thighs.

“Never.”

He rolled his eyes, but smirked anyway. Emilia twisted her hips to the side and her thighs - still wrapped around his torso - got his body to turn as well and he landed on his side on the floor. She untangled her legs from him and crawled over him, hooking his arm back in a mock move to keep him immobile.

Tom laughed into the carpet as she molded her body along his back. Her lips and teeth skimmed over the skin of his shoulder. “Do  _you_ concede?” she mumbled against him.

“Ha!” he huffed out. “Not likely.”

In response, she nipped his shoulder with her teeth a little bit harder and he yelped. Emilia laughed and then let out a surprise cry as he pulled his arm out of her grip and turned them. His body blanketed hers as she was pinned on her stomach. One of his hands trapped both of hers above her head and the other took the mass that was her auburn waves and moved them so he could nuzzle his nose against her exposed neck.

Emilia closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of his weight on her, his hand skimming down her side and the sound of their heaving breathing. She didn’t fight him anymore because she didn’t want to. Her interest in the game was gone and her thoughts turned to wanting to curl up against him and explore the lines of his body with her fingers.

“I think I have tamed the beautiful nymph,” Tom whispered, his nose drawing up a line along her neck before he kissed the spot right behind her ear that made her heart flutter.

Emilia snorted at the use of the word “nymph” and wiggled her backside against him. “I hardly think I’m a nymph.”

“Mmm,” he murmured, his lips ghosting down her neck and over her exposed shoulder blade. “Passionate, beautiful, a tease.” He gently nipped her skin, causing her to gasp and move against him. “Yes, I would say without a doubt you are a nymph, come to tempt me with your wicked ways.”

She turned her head trying to see him, but it was no use. Tom held onto her wrists with his one hand while the other held her hip still and his lips ghosted over any exposed patch of skin he could find. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and wiggled and twisted until he released her with a soft laugh and held himself up on his hands so she could turn onto her back.

Looking up at him, Emilia felt a rush of a thousand thoughts and feelings. The most intense was the want to stay, to never leave his flat or his bed ever. She wrapped her arms around his neck, “Wicked ways, huh?” she asked softly, smirking.

Tom grinned, nodding as he lowered himself down and kissed her slowly. When his lips left hers to once again pay homage to the column of her neck, his voice rumbled against her skin. “A wicked, wicked woman you are. You fill my head with thoughts of bad things.”

She giggled, especially when he breathed into her ear and then pulled her earlobe into his mouth. “I can’t control your thoughts.”

“Hmm, you have a point there, darling,” he murmured, skimming his hands down to hem of her tanktop. “I imagine I would still find you irresistibly sexy if you were in a burlap sack.”

She rolled her eyes at that, her hands slipping back into his hair as he pushed her tank top up. “Well, we’ll never find that out because I will never be putting one of those things on. They are gross looking and itchy.”

Another chuckle escaped him as he bent his head near her torso and she felt his warm breath skirt across her skin. “Naked is better,” he whispered before pressing his lips just above her bellybutton.

Emilia drew in a deep breath and lifted her hips a bit to push against his chest. Tom’s long fingers pushed her tanktop all the way up to her neck, exposing her breasts which he teased with light feather touches as his palms slowly trekked back down her body. As his hands glided down, his mouth moved up and she drew in one more deep breath, trying to keep from squirming. Her fingers raked through his hair slowly, telling him without words she was enjoying the foreplay.

He hummed his approval before he cheekily swiped his tongue up her breastbone. The breath that left Emilia was a little too much like a gasp for her liking. A part of her wished she wasn’t so undone by him. But a louder part said she didn’t care. She wished she could be undone by him every day for the rest of her life.

Tom took hold of her legs again and guided them about his waist, putting her center right against the growing hardness she felt through his boxers. A small moan escaped her at the contact and when she chanced a glance down at him, she saw his bright blue eyes fixed on her face, watching her reactions. She held his gaze, her tongue darting out to wet her lips as she watched him press open mouth kisses up the swell of her right breast. He looked down-right mischievous as he didn’t turn his eyes away and his lips closed around one peak. She sighed, her fingers tightening just a bit in his hair, her eyes falling close as he swirled his tongue in a slow circle over her skin.

He spent his time teasing and coaxing her nipple to a hard point. The only thing Emilia could do was sigh, breathe his name, gently rock her hips into his. A slow burn worked its way through her body and she loved it. Loved how she thought about what his tongue could be doing to other places on her body. She loved his attention to detail. She loved his attention to  _her_ , to the way she moved, the hitches in her breath, the movement of her hands on him. All cues that, like the great actor he was, Tom took with  _fantastic_ direction.

His palms moved down over her hips and - as he gently raked his teeth over her nipple and she arched her back with a gasp - he slipped his hands over her ass, pulling her against him again. Tom slowly moved his mouth toward her other breast, his palms gripping her backside and encouraging her hips to grind against him slowly. Emilia’s eyes rolled back and her fingers tightened again in his hair. This was pure bliss in the simplest form, she thought. The lust coursing through her, the adrenaline, the slow burn of want deep and coiled in her.

“Tom.” His name left her as a sigh. Her hips gently pushed up and moved against him slowly, her breathing picking up as his ministrations began to lose their gentleness.

They continued on this way for Lord only knew how long. Time stretched on in her mind and finally, after working herself up into a frenzy between grinding against him and his mouth worshiping her chest, Emilia pushed him away.

“St-stop,” she panted, her hands pushing him away feebly.

Rather than look concerned, Tom pulled back and grinned. Emilia groaned and pulled herself up, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him soundly. She felt the urge to roll them over and she followed the need, happy that he didn’t fight her as he gently laid back and pulled her on top of him. Emilia pressed her hands into his chest and rotated her hips slowly. His eyes rolled back and his head tilted, his neck stretched out before her.

Her tongue wet her lips again as she continued to grind into him gently, enough for a delicious friction, but not the contact she knew they were both craving. Tom’s hands gripped her hips, trying to control her movements, but she denied him, loving the surge of control in her.

“Emilia,” he choked out, and then swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. She suddenly had the urge to rake her teeth over it and leaned forward, doing just that.

Tom sucked in a sharp breath. His head rose and she pulled back just enough so his lips could attack hers. One of his arms wrapped around her shoulders, his palm at the back of her head, and the other secured itself around her waist. He pressed their chests together, holding her tightly as his mouth nearly devoured hers.

When they pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers and they both breathed in and out harshly. Now Emilia swallowed hard and looked into his eyes, seeing the gorgeous blue ablaze with desire, passion and maybe….

She kissed him, trying to erase the last word that flitted through her mind before the hope took hold. Her body edged him down until he was lying on the floor again and she pulled back, tugging her tank top off and tossing it aside. Tom groaned and reached up, covering her breasts with his large, rough palms and Emilia took a moment to just sit, sigh and once again enjoy his attentions. But she wanted more and needed more than the slow foreplay now.

She shifted back, a little awkwardly to her embarrassment, and tugged down his boxers. The cotton drug over his erection and he let out a groan when his cock finally bounced free. Unconsciously, Emilia licked her lips and reached for him.

“No, no, no,” Tom breathed, coming up on his elbows. “Please, just …”

She smiled and nodded, understanding that need. She didn’t know how much longer she was going to last either. After a split second of debate, she moved to stand to shimmy out of her panties, but again, Tom shook his head.

He swallowed hard and looked up at her, his eyes so dark, she wasn’t sure she could see anymore blue. “Leave them,” he said, his voice so rough with his want, she shivered.

So Emilia crawled back over him, fit her mouth over his and relished in the feeling of his arms wrapping around her and holding her down on top of him. Finally, he let her wiggle out of his embrace and sit back up. Her breath was caught as he reached down between them, his long fingers gently pushing the fabric of her panties to the side and stroking her softly.

She knew his fingers would be coated as she felt she was positively dripping from their build up. The sound that left Tom as he teased her assured her she was right. Emilia’s chest heaved with her breaths as she put a hand over his to still his movements.

“Stop teasing,” she breathed.

His lips slowly curved into such a gorgeous smile, her knees would have buckled had she been standing. “Just returning the favor.”

She tried to glare; of course, she failed.

Biting his lower lip, Tom’s eyes dropped down to where their bodies were eagerly waiting to join. His expression made her shiver again. While he held her panties to the side, Emilia took a hold of his hard shaft and slowly guided him into her. Their sighs were uniform and content, releasing just a bit of the tension that had built.

A moment stretched on where neither moved and Emilia was glad for it. It made the connection feel more intimate. It wasn’t just finding their releases, it was about sharing this time in space where they weren’t just two people anymore. It made her heart swell and her thoughts race and all her desires and hopes rushed to the forward part of her brain.

Tom’s palms had found their usual home on her hips and he tested her resolve by gently rocking her forward and back. Emilia sucked in a breath and clenched her thighs around him, causing him to stop. Then she took over, her hands firmly pressed against his strong chest. Her hips moved, searching for the perfect angle, the perfect spot. He shifted underneath her just the tiniest bit, helping in her quest.

And wouldn’t you know, just like that, his cock hit the zone she was searching for and Emilia let out a keening noise, her head throwing back as her fingers flexed and gently dug her nails into his skin. She let him move her body over his to show her the rhythm.

“Keep going,” he breathed when he relinquished control again. “Just like that, love.”

And she did. The pleasure so much more than she had felt before with him, she wondered why it had taken her this long to get the courage to try it. She started slow and when his moans and growls grew in impatience, he bucked up into her. A gasp left her and she leaned forward, pressing her palms down and giving him a chastising glare.

She didn’t have to say it, but she knew her eyes radiated the word  _behave_ to him. The cheeky bastard just grinned, pulling his lower lip between his teeth and repeating the action. It felt as if the air was literally pushed from her lungs as she groaned and then pressed down harder on his chest.

Emilia very slowly moved her hips again, shifting up and then back. A strangled noise left him and now she grinned. Her movements sped up and Tom growled out her name, one hand reaching up to cup her breast, while the other fitted over her hand resting over his heart. Abandoned in the intimacy and the sheer, immeasurable pleasure she felt with him, Emilia rode him until she broke, a strangled cry leaving her lips and the world shattering around her.

She felt herself teeter forward, but held herself up with whatever strength she had left. She rocked him in and out of her, drawing out her orgasm and urging him toward his. His muscles under her hands tightened and he let out a loud yell that sounded like her name as his hand clutched hers.

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Emilia’s body sagged as she pulled in air to calm her racing hard. Tom’s arms were around her in an instant as he sat up and crushed her against him. He let out a long breath and she was sure he couldn’t have anymore pent up energy after that. Lord knew she didn’t.

After a few moments, he rolled them over so they were laying on their sides. A whimper of disappointment left her lips as he slowly pulled out of her. If he heard it, he chose to ignore it and just wrap his arms around her tighter, pulling her as close as they could get. Legs tangled together, they just lied on the floor, stroking skin, trading kisses….

Emilia wasn’t sure how much time passed before Tom shift up and dragged the comforter off the bed and draped it over their bodies. “You’re shivering,” he whispered when he pulled her back to him.

She hadn’t even noticed, which meant it had not been from being cold. Snuggling back into him, she felt her eyelids grow heavy and was sure they both were close to drifting off to a nice nap. When her eyes fluttered open again, Tom’s elbow was propped up, his head resting in his open palm as he looked down at her. A deep thoughtful expression furrowed his brow and Emilia slowly reached down and took his other hand.

“You look like you’re thinking awfully hard,” she murmured, intertwining her fingers with his as she brought their hands up.

He didn’t say anything in response at first and instead focused his gaze now on their joined hands. Her worry had just started to work up when he drew in a deep breath.

“I don’t want you to leave,” he said so softly, if they had not be plastered against one another, she would not have heard it.

She swallowed hard, watching as his thumb tenderly stroked the outside of her index finger. Several seconds passed before she drew in a deep breath and felt the tears gathering in her eyes. “I don’t want to either,” she whispered.

Tom swallowed hard and shifted, a slight nervous energy coming about him. “I’ll be in the US in a month or so. Maybe… I can sneak off for a few days.” His voice was deep and monotone.

And here it was, the conversation Emilia had been dreading and needing to have all at once.

All she could do was nod and squeeze their palms together. A few stolen days. And then what? She wouldn’t have anymore vacation until the first of the year. He would still be in London for his play, but after that? She wasn’t aware of all the movies he could be contracted for. What if he was going to do another play? Would he expect her to try to work out flying to London all the time? Would he fly all the way to a one-horse town in Indiana for her?

“Emilia,” Tom said her name and it almost sounded choked with vulnerability. “If you don’t … if you don’t want to see me after, I can…”

“It’s not that,” she breathed, feeling her throat tighten. She avoided his eyes. “I want to see you. I want to hear your voice every day. But I just …” She shook her head, trying to hold the tears back.

“If,” he started and paused to take a deep breath. “If you don’t want to leave then… stay.”

Emilia scoffed and rolled away from him, sitting up and clutching the comforter close to her chest. That was exactly what she didn’t want to hear from him. Not because she didn’t want him to want her to stay. Not because she didn’t want him to plead with her and show her how much he truly did care for her. No, it was because she knew she wouldn’t be able to say no…

“Emilia?” Tom’s voice was heavy with confusion and she could feel his hand hovering near her, hesitating to touch her as he was unsure of what she was thinking.

“You can’t ask me to do that.”

He sighed heavily and she felt him shift behind her as he sat up as well. “Then what can I ask you?”

Eyes watery, she glared at him over her shoulder. “Don’t you put this all on me. I can’t…”

“Can’t what? Can’t trust that I’m going to still want you as much three months from now as I do this very minute? Can’t take a chance on yourself? Can’t tell me what you really want?” he demanded, his voice taking on a harsh, low tone.

“What do you want, then?” Emilia demanded, feeling herself bristle at him questioning her so. “You wanna dump this decision on me, well guess what, that’s not how it works. You want things, but you’re just gonna ask? You’re not going to declare or state or demand. You’re going to put it on me, and then when I crumble because I can’t be what you want, then it’s all on me.”

Her voice shook with her fear, sadness and hurt. How long had she said this conversation needed to happen? But she had been a coward, shying away from it like a little child. And the way his blue eyes looked at her now did not make her feel any better. So she stood, throwing the comforter back at him and looking for some of her clothes. The room was so warm and suffocating all of a sudden. She went to the dresser, pulling open the drawer he had cleaned out for her and tugged out a pair of jeans. He was a good 10 feet from her, but still felt too close.

“I’m not putting this all on you, Emilia. But for as much as you want demands and declarations, you aren’t offering up any in return,” Tom accused, standing and pulling on his boxers. “You want me to take that leap first so you don’t have to and it isn’t fair.”

“So I have to do it instead?” she scoffed, hastily pulling on a bra and shirt. “How’s  _that_ fair?”

“Hell, I’m not asking you to instead, I’m saying we should  _together,_ dammit!”

She shook her head, her panic rising. Her hands tugged on a zip up sweater and she desperately looked around for her flats. She had to get out, she had to get away, she had to  _breathe_ …

“You want a declaration? Fine!” Tom held his arms out away from his body. “I  _love_ you! I don’t want you to fucking go, but I know you feel like you have to and while it fucking hurts, I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to.”

Emilia stopped, her back to him as his words sunk into her head and made her heart drop. He loved her.  _He loved her_.

Tom sighed heavily and she heard his arms drop to his sides. “I love you, Emilia. I do. And I would turn the bloody world upside down to make us work, even though you seem convinced there is no way we will.”

Her hands were shaking and she still couldn’t bring herself to turn to him as he continued on.

“I would wait for you. I would let you go, and wait til you felt you could come back, come here to stay. I would,” he finished softly.

The first few tears finally leaked out and Emilia turned her head up to the ceiling, trying desperately to stop them. “I can’t ask you to do that, Tom.”

He came up behind her then, taking hold of her shoulders gently. “Then don’t go.” When she tensed, he continued quickly. “You don’t have anything back there, you told me so. You want to get out, and you deserve to. You deserve to live your life, the one you want.”

“That’s here with you, right?” she joked harshly.

Tom didn’t answer right away, his hands slowly making paths up and down her arms. “Maybe. But … I’m not going to assume that.” He took a shuddering breath that she felt skirt across her neck. “I just … you love it here, Emilia. And London  _suits_ you. You seem happy; happy in this city, happy with me.” The last part ended in a quiet, almost questioning-hopeful tone.

Emilia swallowed her sob. “I am happy here.  _You_ make me happy.”

He let the words settle in the air, allowed her to take in her own statements to ponder. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly against him. “Then why won’t you stay? Let me take care of…”

“No,” she stated firmly, pushing him back. “I will not be a kept woman. I will not be dependant on you.”

“It’s not dependence, for fuck’s sake, it’s helping out the woman I love!” Tom’s voice had jumped again to an angry pitch. “I just want you to not have to worry about food or a place to stay while you are looking for a job.”

Emilia put her hand to her forehead, feeling as if the room was spinning. She opened her mouth to answer, but then couldn’t find the words. Instead, she turned and headed out of the bedroom.

“What are you doing?!” he called after her.

She shook her head, “I can’t just mooch off you. I’m not that kind of person, okay? And … I need a plan to move here. I’m not  _like_ you! I’m not spontaneous, I don’t just make life-changing decisions at the drop of a hat because a guy told me he loved me to get me to stay…”

“ _That’s_  what you think? You think I told you I loved you because it was a last-ditch to get you to stay?” He laughed, but it was void of mirth. “Fucking Christ, Emilia.”

_See, already fucking it up, Em,_  Panicking Emilia sounded loud and clear, as if she had never left. Tears blurred her vision as she headed toward the door, reaching for the handle and her escape. Though she had no idea where she would go now and the voice in her head told her how much of an idiot she was to give up her hotel room.

As she opened the door however, Tom raced up behind her, pushing it close again with his palms. “Don’t,” he said, his voice lower, the anger gone and replaced what sounded like a panic of his own. “I’m sorry. I am. Just please … don’t leave.”

Emilia’s chin shook and she leaned her head against the door. Tom slipped one arm around her middle and rested his forehead against her shoulder. “I told you I loved you because I do, Emilia. For no other reason than that,” he breathed.

She tried to keep quiet as she began to cry and she couldn’t stop from putting her arm over the one he held her with.

“I don’t … I don’t expect you to return the sentiment. But I would never trick you into doing such. Into doing anything. You must know that.”

And his words made her heart break because in all of this, she had not taken a moment to think about what her reactions must be doing to him. Emilia had heard the vulnerability in his voice, seen the panic in his gaze earlier at her words, her accusations…

She turned quickly in his arms and cupped his face, kissing him hard. Tom pulled his other hand from the door and wrapped it around her, holding her tightly. When she pulled back for a breath, she peppered his face with kisses.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed between kisses. “I’m so sorry, Tom. God what you must be thinking…”

He swallowed hard and didn’t answer her and she pulled back, still holding his face in her hands and meeting his gaze. “Tom, I … I don’t think you would trick me. I  _know_ you wouldn’t. And as for …”

Tom shook his head again, dropping his eyes, “Don’t, it’s all right, darling…”

Emilia tipped his head up and looked in his eyes again, “Listen. I — I won’t say it. Not now. But … only because I don’t want you to feel like I am saying it because you did. And I — I don’t want to be afraid when I admit it.”

His brow crinkled, his arms secure and warm around her. “Afraid?”

She felt her lower lip tremble again as she now fought the urge to turn her gaze away. She failed and her face tilted down, ending the eye contact. “I’m afraid… afraid I’ll ruin it.”

Tom reached out and curled a finger under her chin, bringing her face back up. “No, my love. You won’t.”

Emilia felt two tears race down her face and she stood on tip-toe, pressing her lips against his in a kiss she hoped conveyed everything she couldn’t bring herself to say. When they pulled back, he swept his arms under her knees and lifted her up, carrying her back toward the bedroom. He stripped her again, down to just her panties, and then grabbed the comforter from the floor while she crawled into the bed.

“Is this our fix-all?” she whispered, remembering the last time he came after her. “Crawling into bed together after we fight?”

Tom got into the bed next to her, throwing the duvet over their heads. He wrapped his long arms around her and she nestled into him like a perfect puzzle piece. “Yes, darling. As long as we need it to be, this will be our fix-all.”


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's sad :(

Chapter Nine

The bed shifting was what woke her. Emilia drew in a deep breath, her body stretching and her muscles pulling in turn as she came to the waking world. When her eyes fluttered open, she turned her head to see Tom placing a tray on the nightstand near her.

“Good morning,” he said softly, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

Emilia knew why and she shared in the sentiment. Still, she tried her best to smile warmly as well, moving to sit up, clutching the sheet close to her chest. “Breakfast in bed?” she asked quietly.

She wasn’t sure why they were whispering, as if they were in a library or a church, but it somehow felt wrong to break the spell it seemed to create. And in the end that’s what that all was, wasn’t it? A spell that was about to fade away with a stroke of midnight.

“Yeah,” he answered sheepishly, sitting next to her, playing with a fold in the sheet that lay across her thigh. “Nothing special.”

Emilia leaned over to see two eggs, toast and some fruit. As well as a cup of tea, the wonderful smell of peppermint twirling up in the swirls of steam coming from the mug. She smiled, feeling her heart swell at how well he obviously knew her in the short amount of time they spent together. After a moment, the thought tugged at her in a painful way.

She looked up at him and smiled, taking the hand that played with the sheet. She brought his palm up and kissed it. “It’s perfect, thank you.”

His eyes scanned her face for a moment and then he leaned in, cupping the back of her head with his hand as he brought his mouth to hers. She hated how the kiss tasted bitter sweet. When he pulled back, he gave her another smile that wasn’t quite a smile at all, then stood and headed out of the room.

Emilia pursed her lips and watched him go. It felt like they were in a fight, but they weren’t…. were they?

 _Be real, you silly girl._ Panicking Emilia voiced in the depths of her mind.  _He told you he loved you yesterday and you threw it back in his face. Of course you’re in a fight._

Because the reality that her vacation was over hit her soundly that morning and Emilia was the person that she was, she found herself eating her breakfast silently and alone. When she finished, she just put the tray to the side and got dressed. She heard the faint sounds of Tom moving around in the kitchen and the front room, but she was too much of a chicken to go out to see him.

So Emilia did the only thing she could think of; she began to pack. Which was never something that she could do well or quickly. After the morning passed, she was sitting in the middle of Tom’s bedroom, her two suitcases open in front of her, clothes separated by dirty and still-sort-of-clean and just one pair of shoes packed away. She worried on her lower lip, sighing deeply as she looked out at all her belongings and kept thinking about how she didn’t want to leave.

Her brain started to wonder how long she could live in England and not be deported. Could she get a job? Could she get her stuff boxed up and shipped to London? Well… maybe just a few things. Until she got her own place. Emilia was sure that even if Tom wanted her to live with him, he wouldn’t want all her stuff….

Then there was her current apartment. She’d have to break the lease, or figure out when it was up so she didn’t have to break lease. Then move out… transfer all her mail, quit her job at the paper, sell her car…

No matter what the scenario, she’d still have to leave and go back to the States until everything was sorted. And really, that was the last thing Emilia wanted to do. Because then she’d lose her nerve.

The shuffling in the doorway broke her train of thought, and she turned her head slightly to see Tom standing there, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the frame and watched her.

“You seem deep in thought,” he mused softly.

“Just…” Emilia had to stop and clear the emotion that was resting in her throat. “Just trying to figure out what to do.”

It was the truth, really.

He didn’t say anything to that and she sighed, looking back to her suitcases. She wanted to cry so badly, she could feel the beginnings of it behind her eyes and in her throat.

“I’ve got the distinct feeling you’re ignoring me today,” Tom started softly, moving into the room with quiet footsteps. He moved next to her and sat down, his gaze on her luggage as well. “I wouldn’t be wrong about that, would I, Emilia?”

She swallowed hard and looked at her hands in her lap. Yes, he was right. She couldn’t take conflict and all morning, it felt like that was what was brewing. After the spiff they had yesterday about her leaving or staying and Tom saying he loved her… she knew there was more to hash out. And she wanted to avoid it. She was certain he’d take it back if he could, he’d take it all back… and she wasn’t strong enough to hear that.

Tom drew in a deep breath. “We can’t just ignore it, darling,” he said.

“I know,” she answered quickly, her voice thick and her eyes still downcast.

A moment passed and she closed her eyes as she felt his hand sweep her auburn waves back over her shoulder. “Tell me what you want,” he whispered. “Honestly. And I’ll do whatever I can to give it to you.”

Emilia sniffled and looked up at him, her vision blurred with tears. “Why did you sit with me at the cafe that day? Why me?”

Tom licked his lips and turned from her, bowing his head. But she had started now and couldn’t stop herself from rambling. Not that she had ever been able to not ramble. “There were plenty of tables open that day. I know because I saw them. There were several beautiful women, all taking notice of you. I would have never known you weren’t meeting one of them...I wasn’t anything special, Tom… why me?!” she begged.

She was crying in earnest now, desperate to understand the past two weeks. Out of sight, out of mind had worked fantastic for her. But reality had caught up to them and Emilia had to know.

“It’s because you didn’t notice me,” he answered softly, his face still turned from her. He fiddled with his fingers, as if he was just as nervous as she was. “Yeah, those ‘beautiful’ women noticed me. And they expected me to notice them.  _Expected_ it, Em. And all the conversation would have been the same… all about me, about my career, about being an actor.”

Both of his palms ruffled over his hair and clasped at the back of his neck. “You know what that’s like? Wondering if someone is going to see me as Tom or as the actor?”

When she didn’t answer, he scoffed, “You barely even noticed me. Everyone in that cafe turned and looked at me, except you. You had that nose of yours buried in that journal, the sun was gleaming red in your hair and your lips were moving with the words you wrote.” Tom swallowed hard, “You were gorgeous. And intriguing, writing in a novel of all things, those maps all spread around you and your fingers twirling the spoon in your tea.”

A small laugh left him then. “And then you didn’t even acknowledge me when I said something to you! You just looked up at me, shielding those baby blues, and stared as I fumbled over my words. You made me nervous...and I had no idea why.”

“I made  _you_ nervous?” Emilia asked as she sobbed. She sniffled and shook her head, “I couldn’t figure you out. I feel like I’m still trying to figure things out…”

When she chanced a look up at him, he looked beyond confused by her statement. “What does that mean?” he asked, his tone hinting to the hurt her words apparently caused.

She swallowed hard and stood, the room feeling warm and tight all of a sudden. “Just that… I don’t know, Tom. This all seems so surreal, don’t you think?”

She paced her steps over to his windows, looking out at the London scene below. How many times during the past handful of days had she wished this was her home? That his bed was hers? That the shared moments they had been cataloguing away would be regular occurrences? And here she was, being offered that, being given a  _chance_ to turn everything around, to go for something she felt like her heart wanted … standing on a wide precipice and she couldn’t take the damn step forward.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Tom’s voice was so quiet when he asked, Emilia wasn’t sure he spoke at all at first.

When she turned, he was looking at her, half expectantly and half … well, fearful. Which rightly, he couldn’t be blamed for. She was very good at running…

“I don’t know what you mean,” she replied, and quite lamely at that.

Tom stood and took a step toward her, the floorboards shifting with his weight softly. “Yes, you do. Stop trying to hide it, I see it. I see  _you_ , Em.”

And right there, he hit the trigger for her defense mechanism. Anger flared in her. No, not anger; it was fear and panic and … something. But not anger. She realized it too late. “Oh yeah?” she spat, half turning to gaze back at him. “And what do you see then?”

“That you’re scared,” he answered calmly, as if they were talking about Shakespeare or music. “Deep down, straight to your bones scared.”

Emilia scoffed, feeling her hands shake in front of her and out of his sight. “Like you would know…”

“I do know!” His voice rose in volume, but the tone was dark and angered, frustrated and fed up. “How many fucking times must I state my case? Prove myself?!”

She didn’t answer, bowing her head instead and biting back her tears.

“I love you, Emilia and that is not some phrase I pass about freely, to whatever girl may strike my fancy in a week’s time!” he continued, his voice making her shake. If she was scared of what would happen between them before, she was absolutely terrified of what she had instigated now.

“And I love you because I know you. You, Emilia Conners!” His voice broke and he shook his head as if he didn’t know if he wanted to continue on or not. Emilia put her hand over her mouth to stop any sound from leaving her.

The floor creaked again with another of Tom’s steps and when he spoke now, it was soft, pleading. “I love you. With your -- your curly hair and your blue eyes that see through me. With your tiny ears and perfect mouth. You laugh so beautifully when I flirt with you and blush when I’m sincere. You love  _Persuasion_ more than  _Pride & Prejudice_ and hum classic rock songs when you’re happy. You write at  _insane_ hours in the morning because you think clearer then. And you like peppermint tea best and you always smell like an amazing mixture of peppermint and light, sugary vanilla.”

When he finally finished, Emilia sniffled and wiped at her tears. “You like to monologue,” she said softly, and rather melancholy. Perfect for the mood she had set, she thought.

“And you like to ramble, especially when you’re nervous,” he quipped.

It made her turn her head and glare furiously at him.

Her reaction had him throw his arms out wide and look at her with a stern glance of his own. “You want a fight. You’ve been stewing over it since yesterday. So we’re doing it, right now. I’ll fight with you. Only to prove that we can get over it. Because you’re not just worth fighting for, Emilia, you’re worth fighting with.”

“Stop, just stop it!” she cried, putting her hands to her head. “Stop saying those things like I’m … spun of fucking gold and silk!”

Tom dropped his arms by his side and gave her a rueful look. “Stop hiding, Emilia,” he said softly.

Emilia spun on her heels, feeling her face flush with anger and indignation. “God, you’re so … fucking righteous, aren’t you?! Tom I’m-so-fucking-sure-of-myself Hiddleston.”

“Admit it,” he said firmly.

“Stop,” she practically begged, moving to skirt around him and out of the room.

“Just fucking admit it already! Stop running!” Tom yelled, stepping into her path.

“All right, I’m scared!” she cried back. “Okay? I’m so fucking terrified, I’m barely keeping it together!”

The tension between them shifted. Suddenly the anger was gone, and Emilia felt like a huge weight of sadness settled itself upon her shoulders. They didn’t say anything for a moment, and she didn’t have the courage to look him in the face after her outburst.

It took a few minutes, but Tom ventured near her again, “Why?” he asked simply, his voice incredibly softer.

Tears rushed and flooded her eyes and she heard the emotion heavily laced in her voice as she spoke. “Because, I -- I’ve never been in love before, Tom. And I don’t know … I don’t know if I am right now. If I’m not just caught up in being this woman you think I am.”

“You are that woman though…”

She shook her head, “No, you don’t get it. I’m not because I’m  _always_ what someone else wants me to be. I’m the well-behaved daughter, the sympathetic friend with no problems at all, the employee okay with the status quo…” Her hands had been flailing about and she paused a moment to fold them in front of her shyly. “I wanted to come to London so badly by myself because I don’t know who I even  _am_ anymore; this trip was my chance to find me.”

Emilia’s words caught in her throat and she ran her hands through her hair. She was rambling and her face blazed with embarrassment. “And then I met you and … God, Tom I don’t even know. I feel like I never have and I feel like I’m free and open to say or do anything and you’re okay with that. But I don’t know if that’s me or if that’s -- that’s me trying to meet some expectation I think you have.”

She was breathing heavily when she was finished and he waited until he was sure she had no more words to say.

“I think you think too much,” he offered fondly.

She sniffled again, “Yeah, well it’s what I do.”

Tom drew in a deep, shuddering breath. One filled with resignation and decision all at the same time. It made her worry more than his angry tone had. “Well, let me tell you something. You’re a rubbish actor, love.”

The statement caught her off guard and her eyes shot up to his, her brow furrowed. “What?”

“Acting, you. You can’t do it,” he stated point blank, shrugging his shoulders. “So as far as I’m concerned, the Emilia Conners who I sat down with two weeks ago, that’s the real deal.”

Emilia twisted her hands. “And what about love? Am I capable of that?”

A labored sigh passed his lips as he stepped up close, invading her space. His large palms covered hers and he squeezed them gently. “I can’t be the one to tell you that, darling. You have to know that for yourself.  _No one_ on God’s earth can tell you who to love except your own heart.”

Panic started to rise again in her, white hot and burning in her throat. He already sounded as if he was ready to concede to the fact that she might not love him. Emilia felt shame at that, because … because she wanted to love him. She wanted to know that what she felt when she looked at him was love, the burning need for him was love, the fluttering in her chest…

“What,” she started and then swallowed hard. “What do you feel? I mean, how do you … how do you  _know_?”

“That I love you?” he asked, and she briefly took a chance to meet his gaze to see his eyebrows raised as if he was taken aback by the question. When she nodded, he pursed his lips. “I always want to touch you, be next to you…”

Another sniffle. “Could easily be lust and desire.”

A small smile tugged at Tom’s mouth. “Yes, it could. But those are a part of love, I believe. Just as the need I have to take care of you, to hold you. How you make my heart stutter and ram against my chest. How I want to just stare and stare at you, talk with you for hours because you make me smile. And because you’re intelligent too, that’s a plus.”

Emilia couldn’t stop the small scoff of disbelief that left her. “Or just a smart ass.”

“You’re that too,” he conceded, brushing his hand through her hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his long fingers running along her scalp. “But I like that. I love that. You don’t tip-toe around me. Well, you have this morning…”

At that, she swallowed hard. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Tom shook his head and cupped her face, raising her gaze. “I know this is hard for you. I -- I truly do.” He stared at her again with a rueful look. “I think … I think you need to figure out what you feel for me before we…”

She didn’t let him finish, pulling out of his embrace and turning back to the window. “Back to me then,” she stated flatly.

“That’s not what I meant.”

She shook her head, “No, no. I know.” A hiccuped sob caught her words. “It wouldn’t be fair of me, making a decision to stay here and take advantage of you if I don’t even know what I felt.”

“I’m not saying you don’t care for me, Emilia,” Tom answered sternly.

“No!” she cried, turning back around, her eyes brimming with tears once again. God, was she fucking this all up or what… “I know, Tom. I know…”

“I just don’t want you to lie and I don’t…” Tom broke off, frustrated and scrubbing his face with his large palms. His shoulders were bunched together, stiff and tense, and Emilia wanted nothing more than throw her arms around him and hug him tightly, telling him whatever he wanted to hear.

“I want you to know what you want, and if I’m that. So we don’t go down this road and you realize you can’t stand me because I -- I won’t be so easily persuaded out of my feelings,” he finished softly.

The meaning of the statement filled the room, a partner with the silence that descended. Emilia suddenly felt horribly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up under his warm comforter. The truth of what they were standing on twisted in her gut and she hated how it made her sick. How her nerves and her panic were forcing her to draw back. Because all she could think of, staring at him, was that she would ruin him. That perfect, happy, amazing person that he was.

“I care about you, Tom,” she said finally, whispering it into the heavy air between them. “So much, I can’t rightly put it into words. It seems too cheesy or too ridiculous.”

“Just be honest with me.” The words were strained.

Emilia pulled in a deep breath. “I feel… I feel like I can’t breathe, you know? All that,” she started to flap her hands motioning back and forth between the two of them. “That corny shit that people write about or talk about in movies. But that can’t be it, right? Cause that … that feels like cheap some how.”

Tom licked his lips and stepped toward her. “Emilia.”

“I mean,” she continued on, pressing a hand to her heart, feeling it beat wildly there. “It shouldn’t be like in the movies, should it? It should be more real than that. Like us fighting and realizing that this doesn’t happen and good Lord, who … who moves to a different country after two weeks with someone, cause that’s ludicrous right? We don’t live in a movie… I’m not Audrey Hepburn for Christ’s sake.”

Tom chuckled a bit, cautiously taking another step forward, “Emilia,” he said again.

“No, no. It’s something else, right?”she asked, tears in her eyes as her fingers rubbed her throat, trying to calm the itching panic rising. “I want to be in love with you too much for it to be actually real, right?”

He drew in a shaky breath and gave her a soft smile, like she was a skittish horse. “Emilia, look at me.”

Her chin shaking, her chest heaving like she ran a marathon, Emilia turned her eyes directly to his. Tom held her gaze firmly, taking one final step and slipping his arms around her. “I think, darling, that you might be in love.”

“Or just crazy,” she fought.

“People in love often are,” he ventured hopefully. “I’m not going to tell you if you are in love with me or not, Em. But … if I were a betting man, I’d say if you want to be in love with me so badly, this little scene just now? That’s your heart trying to tell you something.”

“And what’s that?” she asked, hoping he would just … figure it out for her. She was not good at this, not good at all.

“All signs point to yes?” He laughed, a soft “Ehehehe” as her eyes widened. “I don’t know, Em. That’s what I keep trying to tell you. You are the one who knows. I think you’re fighting the answer though.”

Emilia dropped her head to his chest, heaving out a breath. “What if that answer isn’t in your favor?” she mumbled against his soft T-shirt.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying her against him. “Then it just isn’t. But I like to think I have a fighting chance.”

She licked her lips and tilted her head back, looking up at him. She searched over his brow, in his eyes, down his long nose and the sharp lines of his jaw. Her gaze settled on his mouth, the thin lines that felt so heavenly on her full lips.

“I think you do too,” she whispered, her hands going up to cup his face.

He took it as a sign, and she was glad he did. Tom’s kisses always reflected his words and now, his lips were gentle, searching against hers. Like he was trying to draw an ‘I love you’ from her mouth. She tip-toed up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and drawing him down into her more. For her part, she wanted only to memorize everything, sear it deep inside her so that she would always have it.

Tom tightened his arms around her and pulled her close, turning them both and slowly walked her back to the bed. When her legs hit the edge of it, she turned and crawled on top of the rumpled sheets, kneeling on the end and taking hold of the hem of his shirt. She pulled it up and tossed it away, her palms slowly gliding up his chest, picking out the very faint smattering of freckles here and there.

Her head dropped down and she gently kissed along his shoulders, collarbone, hoping to always remember. She paused only to allow Tom a chance to peel her shirt from her as well. His hands mimicked her movements, skimming his warm palms up her curves, over her breasts. Emilia felt the breath rush from her suddenly and her head tipped back as his lips found the column of her neck, his hands molding over the cups of her bra.

She sighed, her hands finding his hips and gently pulling him into her. His lips burned a path down, over her collarbone and to her chest. His fingers reached behind to undo her bra and discard it away carelessly, his lips softly coaxing one nipple into his mouth while his hand caressed the other. Emilia’s chest heaved with her weighed breath, her hands crawling into his short, soft hair. He took his time, his movements gentle and loving, building the fire deep in her slowly and deliciously.

Emilia arched into him as he kissed over her breast bone, his warm breath making her shudder. Her hands tightened on his hips and she coaxed him toward her more. As she moved back, Tom followed, climbing onto the bed after her. The rest of their clothing came off in slow succession, and a little awkwardly too. But the embarrassment was eased away with soft laughs and smiles.

When Tom laid her back, hovering over her, he looked upon her with such reverence, she had to turn her eyes down and gather herself a moment. She came back to the moment as he bent his head down and whispered against her skin. Some of his words she heard, but the others she felt more than anything; breathless promises and declarations that made her feel like putty in his hands.

And then…

“I love you, Emilia.” His voice was quiet and strained. Emilia felt a tear race out of the corner of her eye as he ghosted his lips over her skin, moving up and up, pressing the phrase into her again and again. When he reached her mouth, she saw in Tom’s eyes that he was trying to make sure she would never forget it.

“Tom,” she sobbed quietly, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him down onto her again, their mouths meeting in a longing kiss.

He kept his movements gentle, slipping inside her smoothly and rocking her with his body. It was deep, it was amazing… it was  _divine_. When she reached her release, her eyes were wide and focused on him, the openness of his gaze shaking her to her core as her pleasure washed over her. And when he followed his buried his face in her neck, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her up. He held her for what seemed to be forever before he laid her back again and snuggled her close to him as they both drifted to sleep.

She wasn’t sure what time it was, but by the time she’d had enough of her fitful dozing and sat up, it was dark outside. Emilia listened to Tom breathe for the longest time; deep, slow breaths in a soothing pattern. Like a soft, whispery lullaby. But she just couldn’t be charmed back to sleep. So, she sat up, staring out the window as she drew up her knees and rested her cheek on them.

After some time, the bed shifted and she felt warm lips on her bare shoulder. Emilia turned her head, and saw Tom’s eyes shining in the moonlight. She swallowed hard and buried her face behind her arm, feeling her tears coming on again. A few hours and she would have to head to the airport…

Tom kissed her shoulder again, continuing down her bicep and forearm. Emilia pursed her lips and watched him, sorrowfully thinking maybe it would be the last night he’d be doing thing.

A look must have crossed her face at the thought, because her lover reached for her, cupping her head in his comforting, familiar hands, and kissed her. Emilia kissed him back fervently, practically crawling into his lap and clutching at him. They made love one more time, so bone-deep and shuddering, they spent what seemed liked forever following staring at one another and breathing hard. Neither fell asleep after, touching and watching each other, not speaking a word.

It was like a doomsday toll when her alarm sounded. Tom let her slip from his arms and drag her feet as she prepared for the airport. She heard him get up and call Luke, setting up a safe way for Tom to be able to take Emilia to the airport and see her to the security check. By the time she was packed and ready, he quietly handed her a cup of tea and told her everything was lined out.

It wasn’t spitting rain when as they drove to Heathrow, but it would be only a matter of time, she thought. Security met them at the entrance after Tom parked and escorted them toward Emilia’s check-in desk. Tom held her hand tight the entire time. She only noticed a few people staring at them and thankfully, there were no camera flashes. Suddenly she wished she had Luke’s number to thank him for his expert work.

Tom turned to face her as they stood just outside the line of security. He cleared his throat, taking the ends of her long scarf and looping them together. “Will it be cold when you get back?” he asked softly.

Emilia swallowed hard. “Not like it is here. Fall can still be a little warm for us.”

He nodded, his jaw tight and tense. His hands moved up and down the edges of her scarf, his eyes following the movement. “You’ve got my number. I hope … I hope you know you can call me whenever. No matter what,” he instructed.

She nodded, “Same goes for you.”

An answer didn’t come from him. His shoulders bunched up with tension and Emilia sighed, covering his hands with hers, stopping their movement. “Tom,” she said softly.

He pursed his lips so they practically disappeared and looked up to meet her gaze. She felt her lips turn up in a gentle smile and she reached up to trace her fingers over his stubbled jaw. “Thank you. For everything. I will never forget it.”

His adam’s apple bobbed suspiciously and he quickly dropped his eyes again. “And what of me?”

She stepped up against him and ducked to catch his gaze. “I couldn’t forget you if I tried.”

“And what of us?”

She thought she might have seen light reflecting off tears in his eyes. But surely not. “I don’t want you to waste time waiting for me…”

Tom scoffed, “Emilia,”

But Emilia shook her head, stopping him. “No, I don’t want to fight. I don’t want this to be the last…” She huffed out a breath, feeling tears just waiting to fall.

He wrapped his long arms around her and buried his face in her hair. “Neither do I. I don’t want to let you go either.”

She sniffled, snuggling close and holding him time. She breathed in deep, desperate to burn everything in her memory, from the feel of his arms around her to the smell of him clinging to his clothes. Everything felt right, yet wrong all at the same time. It felt right to be with Tom, to be held by him, to laugh with him and hell, even to fight with him. She thought it was wrong to feel all of that so quickly, but in that moment, standing in the middle of Heathrow, her plane ticket in her back pocket, the only thing that felt wrong was leaving...

Tom cleared his throat, but still did not loosen his hold on her. “You should probably get going.”

Emilia felt her bottom lip quiver, “Not yet,” she breathed. “Just a bit longer.”

“Emilia,” he said, his voice strained.

Drawing in a deep breath, she finally pulled back, standing up on tip-toe and grabbing his face in her hands, she kissed him soundly. Tom’s arms tightened around her and he squeezed her so hard against him, she almost couldn’t breathe. He kissed her back like a last ditch effort to convince her not to go. When she pulled back, he pressed his forehead against hers and gave a shaky breath.

Emilia smoothed down the front of his button-down with her palms. She then gave him a watery smile. “I don’t regret any of it, you know. If I had the chance, I’d do it all over again,” she said honestly.

“Me too,” he answered, giving her a smile that was just as forced as hers.

She laughed a bit and then tip-toed up to press one last, soft kiss to his lips. “I’ll see ya around, Tom Hiddleston.”

“Safe travels, Emilia Conners,” he replied, swaying into her to prolong their contact.

And with that, Emilia turned away and took quick steps toward the security line. When she made it through, she looked back and saw him staring at her, hands in pockets. She waved and he offered her a small smile, waving back. She turned to pick up her carry on and when she turned back, he was gone.


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the last chapter. Thank you all so very much for reading and the comments and the kudos. It's so amazing the response I have gotten from this little story. I appreciate it so much, I can't really put it into words. Thank you, thank you <3

Chapter Ten

“So… that’s it?”

Emilia drew in a deep breath as she ended her story, minus some details of course, and gave Maggie a rueful smile, the only kind she had managed to muster since she had gotten home. “Yeah. I mean...more or less. It might be foolish to think I’ll ever see him again, but if I don’t, at least we have smiles to remember,” she said softly.

And kisses, touches, unspoken words, at least on my part, she didn’t add aloud.

Maggie stared at her blankly for a moment, blinking only a few times. Just when it was starting to unnerve Emilia a bit, her boss dropped her chin and her eyes widened in disbelief. “Not see him again? Are you nuts? ‘Foolish to think’ you say … what am I talking about, you are nuts!”

Emilia’s eyes bugged out. “What are you talking about?”

“You heard me,” Maggie said, crossing her arms and giving her a motherly look. “You talked about London forever, you loved it over there and you’ve got a hot man wanting you over there. And you come back here? What in the hell were you thinking?!”

Emilia pursed her lips, “It’s not that simple, okay? I have issues and …”

“Now you’re just giving me excuses. Why did you come back?”

The younger woman sighed, “Because.”

“Because?”

“Because,” Emilia scoffed, throwing her hands up, feeling defensive and slightly angry. “It’s freakin’ crazy to just pack up and move over there.” That had been her mantra in the days following her vacation. She thought it’d help her get some sleep at night, but it unfortunately only made her insomnia worse.

“Why is it crazy?”

Emilia groaned in frustration, “I can’t just move over there on a whim.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Maggie challenged and the question caused Emilia to turn a hard glare at her. Maggie stared back unmoving for a long moment and then sighed. “Fine, I’ll try a different route. Do you still want to have anything to do with Tom?”

The younger woman felt her heart thud and looked down at the top of her desk, suddenly finding it very interesting. “Of course.”

“Then why not take him up on that offer? Move over there with him, get on your feet. Take the chance,” Maggie explained. “He said he loved you! I mean, what more do you need?”

Emilia drew in a deep breath. “What if he doesn’t want anything to do with me after I rejected the offer and got on the plane?” she asked tentatively.

“Have you talked to him?”

Emilia shook her head. “Not since I left. But he’s pretty busy, you know. He’s doing a press tour in Australia and Asia right now.”

“Good Lord, it’s always around the hard way with you. Okay, let me try it this way then,” Maggie started, putting her palms on Emilia’s desk and leaning toward the young woman. “Do you want to talk to him?”

“Of course I do,” Emilia answered indignantly.

“Then pick up the phone and call him. Line works both ways, Em.”

“What if he doesn’t want to speak to me though?”

Maggie pointed a finger at her. “No excuses. Own up to the fact you miss him, embrace the fact you wanna take the first step for once and call the man. And, hey, admit you love him.”

Emilia blanched. “You -- you think I love him?”

“Think? I don’t have to think, it’s all over that pretty little face of yours my dear! You fell in love with him.”

Emilia pursed her lips. “I’ve never been in love. I thought…”

“You’re in love. It’s not rocket science, Emilia. I mean, damn, I just had to listen to you for 10 minutes into your story before I realized it,” Maggie said bluntly, sitting down at her desk. “You were too wrapped up in your fear to see it.”

The shock of what her boss said literally rendered Emilia speechless for the rest of the afternoon. She thought she could love Tom but was so, so afraid she wasn’t really in love with him and she would just string him along. And then there was her past, her own misgivings about herself holding her back. How could Tom really love her if she wasn’t so sure she loved herself? No one in the past loved her …. sometimes she even wondered if her own parents loved her.

She had felt like such a different person in London, like she could finally breath. One week back in the states and she was already suffocating again, falling back into old patterns, smiling even though she felt like screaming. Why would Tom want someone like that? Someone who let everyone walk all over her….

And that didn’t even scratch the surface of the bubbling turmoil about her feelings for him. Sure, she cared very deeply for him, but was that enough? She didn’t want to hurt him but really, she didn’t want to be hurt either. She didn’t want to be left all alone; she had been in the past, by guys she cared about just as much as she did Tom…. But still, something nagged at her, right in her chest. Maybe Maggie was right, then…

It was in that moment, Emilia felt like she had been slapped upside the back of her head. The nagging in her chest, the feeling that something was off, the pull she felt toward him… She was in love, she really was. But good Lord, how could she be in love? How could she manage being in a relationship… Holy shit, she thought, the panic beginning to set in as she thought over everything, raced over it again and again. It was then she realized, deep down more than anything, that she had been a complete idiot.

But even armed with that revelation - which left her head absolutely spinning and her stomach in knots - Emilia didn’t call Tom. How could she, after everything she had done, after all the fear that still lingered? She’d loved him all along and she’d let herself, her past, stand in the way of that. He probably didn’t even want to bother with her anymore. He hadn’t bothered to call her either, had he?

That night, as the rain pitter-pattered against the windows of her small apartment, she laid in bed and thought about him. Her mind racked over their last night together. She went over the scene at the airport over and over again and felt tears brimming her eyes as she realized she had an opportunity before her and she missed it. 

She could have been like Cameron Diaz in “The Holiday” and stayed another week. Emilia could have called, quit the job at the paper and started looking for something in London. She was sure she could stay in the country for three months without a visa. She could have admitted she had been stupid and blind and scared, denying what was so fucking obvious to everyone else. She knew then he wanted her, now she wasn’t sure….

It was all wishful thinking now. Lying in her bed, in the dark, she listened as the fall storm rolled through her small, sleepy Indiana town. Earlier, while she curled up on her sofa with a cup of peppermint tea, she had done the stupid thing of logging online and searching for information about him. She read a few interviews, saw pictures of him with some fans and watched a video of him breaking out into a dance in the middle of an event. Emilia couldn’t help but smile. That was Tom; giving everything.

She watched the dancing video twice before bed, remembering when they danced in the clubs in downtown London. That’s why she couldn’t sleep now, she chastised herself; because she was reliving the past.

She always spent too much time living in the past.

And because she stared at the international clock on her phone. It was currently just after 2 p.m. in Korea. She could call him and he could very well pick up, if he wasn’t in the middle of more interviews. Emilia pulled up her contacts and tapped his name. Then her thumb hovered over the call button.

After 10 minutes, she sighed, locked the screen and put the phone on the bedside table.

~*~*~*~

The rain was heavy as Emilia rushed across the street and into the waiting warmth of the small diner. She and Carmen had a standing lunch date and she was already late and loathed to hear her best friend complain about it. Once she pushed through the door, the small bell ringing at the top, she closed her umbrella and looked around for said best friend.

“Em!”

She looked over to her right and felt a tinge of relief that Car had gotten their favorite booth in the back corner. Darting down the small aisle, she shook off her coat and then slid into the booth. “Maggie said I could come back in an hour and a half, so whatever you need to talk about, we’re okay for a bit,” she said, a bit breathless from her dash to the diner.

Earlier that day, Carmen texted her to say they had something important to talk about at their lunch date and the longer Em could stay, the better. Emilia was immediately worried something bad happened and demanded more info. But Car said it wasn’t a dire emergency and refused to answer any texts after.

“What’s going on, what’s all this about?” Emilia asked after the waitress took her order and dropped off a glass of water for her.

Carmen took a deep breath and leveled Emilia with a hard stare. “You and I need to discuss one Mr. Thomas Hiddleston.”

Emilia groaned, slumping back in the booth as the tension and worry for her friend immediately evaporated. “Carmen, we already talked about this.”

“If by talk you mean you ordering me not to bring it up because it was, and I quote, over, that’s not talking, sweetcheeks.”

“It is over.”

“Have you talked to him?” Carmen asked.

“Well, no, but…” Emilia tried to argue.

“Then it isn’t over.”

Emilia crossed her arms and glared, “I’m not doing this with you. Everyone wants to think this is some damn fairy tale, but it isn’t, okay? I didn’t run off the plane into his arms and I’m not gonna show back up on his doorstep with a bag in my hand. He’s not gonna show up here and beg me one last time. Real life just doesn’t work like that, Car.”

“No, it doesn’t, but dammit, Emilia, it doesn’t me you have to have one resignation after another. You always give up and you need to stop doing that,” Carmen said gently.

Emilia huffed, looking down at the table. “I’m not giving up, I’m accepting. There is a difference.”

There was a heavy silence that made Emilia turn her eyes up to her best friend. Carmen stared at her heavily, which made Em fidget.

“When are you going to let go, huh? When are you going to let the past die and stop holding you back, Em?” her friend asked softly.

“You don’t get it,” Emilia scoffed.

“Oh yes, I do. I get it all too well,” Carmen countered, reaching over the table and uncrossing Emilia’s arms. Her best friend took her hands and looked at her point blank. “I’ve watched it torture you and pull you down for too long. I won’t stay silent anymore.”

Emilia swallowed hard and looked down, feeling tears begin to cloud her vision. “I don’t deserve it, Carmen.”

“WHY?!” Carmen’s voice rose, her hands tightening on Emilia’s. “Why, for the love of God, don’t you?”

“Because I don’t!” Em shot back, trying to tug her hands away, trying to bury down inside herself and away from the truth.

“That’s not a reason. You tell me, tell me right now,” Carmen demanded. When Emilia didn’t respond and again tried to pull away, Carmen held tight, her voice firm. “No, Em, you aren’t running anymore. You look me in the face and you tell me why you aren’t worth it, why you don’t deserve it.”

Emilia swallowed hard and looked everywhere but at her best friend.

“You can’t, Em, because it isn’t true.”

“Carmen, I…”

“I know you don’t believe that. I do. But you gotta let it go, honey. You gotta jump, you gotta leap. If you don’t, you’re going to lose him and you’ll regret it all your life. Because you could be happy. Tom will make you happy. And so what if in six months is falls apart? It won’t, but if it does, you did it and it will have been worth it because you took a chance and went for something you wanted. Not what your mother or father wants, not what your sister wants, not what I want. What you want."

Emilia felt the hot tears burn down her cheeks as she swallowed hard.

Carmen took a deep breath and tightened her hold on her friend, what now felt like a tether to Emilia. "So I'll ask it again. When are you going to let go, Em? Let go of the guys that disappointed you, let go of thinking you have to do what your parents want, let go of that guilt holding you back?"

Emilia took a deep breath. "I don't know how to," she breathed, finally saying what she had always thought. She knew she didn’t want the life she had, she knew she wanted to have something better, but she had no clue where to even start.

"Maybe you can learn. Maybe Tom could teach you to not feel guilty and show you how you deserve to be loved."

"He doesn't want that burden," Emilia said with a sniffle, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "He doesn't want someone like me."

"How can you say that after everything? Of course he wants you, sweet cheeks," Carmen said softly. "He loves you. He just wants you to love you too."

Emilia sighed, feeling more lost than ever.

“Em, do you honestly believe Tom doesn’t love you anymore? That after everything, he’d give up so easily?” Carmen asked sincerely.

“Every other man in my life has given up on me.” The words left her mouth before she even realized she had thought them.

Carmen sighed, “And they were dicks. Are you gonna punish Tom for their mistakes? Are you gonna punish yourself because they weren’t the right men for you?”

Emilia didn’t have an answer for that, because she honestly had never looked at it that way. She always thought there was something wrong with her, something she had done wrong. Or something about her looks, her weight, her hair. Something she needed to fix, because she was never good enough…

“Listen, Emilia, I love you, okay? You’re my best friend in the entire world. You’ve always been there for me, you’ve always kicked me in the ass when I needed it, even if I didn’t want to hear what you had to say. But now it’s my turn,” Carmen started, looking at Emilia point blank. “You have got to call him. You have got to admit you love him and you want him in your life and that you’re worthy of him. Because you are. You gotta fight for it, Em.”

Emilia licked her lips and looked out the window, watching the rain splashing against the wide pane of glass. “Where do I even start, Car?”

And with that, Carmen took a deep breath, “Well… I had an idea. If you’re willing to be open about it.”

~*~*~*~

Two weeks later

Emilia stared out the small window in her office, frowning at the rain. It had been doing that a lot lately, which wasn’t too odd for October in Indiana. But it still didn’t make it pleasant. One thing she always loved about the Midwest was the fall season. This year, however, it seemed to have skipped town.

She sighed heavily and tried to distract her horrid mood by answering some emails begging for her attention. A few calls from clients came after that. She was polite, cheery even, but once she hung up, she slumped back into her chair, staring out the window again.

“I would tell you to get the hell out of the office, but in this weather, I don’t think that would help you,” Maggie said as she breezed in, laying her portfolio and a ton of ad mocks on the extra desk in their office.

“I’m fine,” Emilia said mechanically, attempting to make herself look busy.

“Uh huh. And I’m Mary fuckin’ Poppins. Have you called him?” Maggie demanded, shedding her coat.

“Who?”

Her boss rolled her eyes, “Nice try, punk. Your London lover.”

Emilia heaved out a breath, propping her elbow up on the desk and dropping her chin into her open palm. “What do you think?”

Maggie shook her head, “Where is he at this week?”

“Back in London,” Emilia murmured, not even trying to deny the fact she had been following his movements via interviews, articles and pictures. Not to mention she had been getting his Twitter updates on her phone.

“What time is it in London, then?” Maggie asked.

“Just after 7 p.m.”

“Then you have plenty of time to get up, walk out of this office and call him before he turns in for his beauty sleep.”

The younger woman rolled her eyes, “I’m not going to call him, Maggie.”

“Then you best stop moping. Because you’re driving me nuts. I don’t understand why you just won’t take a risk on yourself! This guy loves you, Em. And you have a huge chance to change everything around in your life by moving to a city you love and getting a job doing something you love and being with a guy you love,” Maggie chastised her.

Emilia worried on her lower lip and said nothing, twisting her hands in her lap. Ever since her talk with Carmen, she had been saying the same thing to herself in an attempt move herself into action. But the fear was still all too paralyzing. Carmen had made a suggestion that could help her, but even that was something Emilia didn’t know if she could do. “What if I can’t do it? What if I mess up?”

“Oh Emilia,” Maggie sighed, coming around her desk to give the girl a hug. “Then you mess up. That’s life, honey. You can’t stay in this one-horse town because you’re scared.”

Emilia pursed her lips, “I wish I was brave enough.”

“You are. You just gotta do it. And you can start, by calling that hot man in London.”

A laugh escaped Emilia as she rolled her eyes. “Good lord, Maggie. You’re so incorrigible.”

Maggie winked. “That’s the point. You’re young! Girl, go be young!”

How many times had she wished for that confidence in herself? To know that even if she messed up, she’d be okay. She would be loved. Her whole life, Emilia thought failure was not an option and that she constantly was nothing but a disappointment. She had to be perfect in every way to succeed. Every bad fall weighed so heavy on her … She had to live with the guilt of her parents for so long, the guilt of failed friendships and guilt of unsuccessful love, she couldn’t bear Tom being disappointed in her….

Emilia was about to retort to Maggie when the phone on her desk buzzed. “Emilia?” Courtney, the secretary in the front office, asked softly.

Emilia stuck her tongue out at Maggie and picked up the headset, “Yeah, Courtney, I’m here.”

“You have a gentleman up front here to see you. He said he didn’t have an appointment,” Courtney answered, but there was something in her tone that made Emilia sit up and catch Maggie’s eye. Emilia had worked with Courtney enough to know that something was going on.

“Okay, sure. I’ll be right up,” Emilia answered and hung up. “Courtney said there is a guy here to see me.”

“You look like that’s weird. Why’s that weird?” Maggie asked.

“I don’t know. Courtney sounded like she was about to bust out giggling,” Emilia stood, straightening her blouse and then her pencil skirt. “If it’s a client, I don’t understand why they didn’t just come on back to the office.”

Maggie shrugged and Emilia walked out of the ad department, her heels making a dull thud sound on the carpet as she tried to not rush to the front of the office. She pushed through the swinging door that separated the front lobby from the department offices. There was a tall man standing in front of Courtney’s desk, wearing dress slacks and a jacket, his back to her as he stared out the front windows.

Emilia’s steps slowed … for some reason, he seemed familiar. “Hello, I’m Emilia, how can I help you?” she said in greeting, plastering on her bright sales smile.

When he turned, her steps faltered and she came to a halt, her breath catching. Tom smiled brightly and closed the space between them. “Hello, darling,” he said softly.

Emilia felt every one of the women in the front office look at her. “Tom,” she breathed, her voice sounding foreign to her ears. “Wh--what are you doing here?”

He looked down and let out a nervous laugh, his hand scrubbing the back of his neck. “I wanted to see you.”

Her voice was completely lost. She had to be dreaming. Was she dreaming? Had she fallen asleep at her desk?

Tom licked his lips during her silence, his face flushing a bit, “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

Still, Emilia couldn’t speak. She stared at him and pinched her side, biting her bottom lip as she felt the sharp pain but still found herself staring at Tom. Courtney and everyone behind the circulation desk was staring back and forth between the two. Emilia was rooted to the spot, her mind completely blank.

Tom let out a nervous laugh, “This reminds me of the first time we met.”

The words brought the memory rushing back. Four weeks ago, sitting in the sunshine in a cafe in London. He had worn a blue shirt similar to what he had on now and a nervous smile then too. Emilia shook her head, feeling embarrassment flush through her. “God, I’m sorry. Yes, yes, there is. Just …” She held up her hands in a gesture to tell him to stay. “Just let me grab my purse.”

Without another word, she turned and practically sprinted back to her office. She had to have had a horrid look upon her face because Maggie stood immediately, her eyes wide. “Oh my God, what happened?” she asked.

Emilia swallowed hard and shook her head, “He’s here, Maggie.” She started waving her hands, fanning herself as she felt the panic take over. “Oh my God, he’s here to talk to me.”

“Who?” Maggie asked in confusion.

“Tom!” Emilia practically shrieked. “Oh my God, what do I do?”

“He’s here?! Oh I have to go look.” Maggie jumped up out of her chair and headed out of the office.

“Maggie!” Emilia hissed after her, but her boss was already down the hallway. Emilia blew out a breath, running her hands through her hair.

Maggie appeared a moment later, a huge grin on her face, “Oh damn, girl. Talk to him. That’s what you are going to do. And have lots of reunion sex. Lots and lots because hot damn…”

Emilia smacked the older woman’s shoulder, “Maggie!” she exclaimed. She then ran her hands through her hair again. “This is insane. He’s here… I have no idea what to do.”

Maggie walked over and grabbed Emilia’s purse before she stepped up to the younger woman. She slipped it on Emilia’s shoulder and gave her a big smile. “You’re going to go talk to him. So go.”

When Emilia bit her lower lip in panicked hesitation, Maggie took hold of her shoulders, turned her to the door and pushed. “Go!” she commanded with a laugh.

Taking a deep breath and attempting to calm her nerves, Emilia headed back toward the lobby. She wondered what in the world was happening. And if she could make it through this without passing out.

When they arrived at her apartment, Emilia fumbled with her keys twice before she was able to get the door open and them through the entrance. She immediately cursed herself as tea cups littered the living room and she knew there were a few dishes from breakfast in her sink.

Sitting her purse down on the table by the door, she rushed over to grab the cups. She was very aware of Tom’s eyes on her, but she chose to ignore that for the moment. “I’m sorry. It’s been a mess since I got back from London.” She laughed nervously as she took the dishes to the kitchen. “I hate unpacking and washing tea cups, apparently.”

Tom chuckled, that warm, familiar sound that had heat spreading throughout her body. “Me too. Both are such a task.”

Emilia walked back into the living room where he stood, her eyes raking over his figure, still not believing he was really there. He met her gaze full on when her eyes reached his face again and she flushed. “God, you must be so tired with jet lag and everything.”

He shook his head. “No, no. I’ve been in New York for a few days. We’re gearing up for the Thor premiere. So the jet lag’s worn off.”

She smiled nervously, dropping her eyes from his and tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “I’ve seen some of the interviews from Australia and Korea. Your head must be spinning from all the travel.”

When she chanced a look back up, he was watching her with an endearing smile that tugged at her heart. His hands were in his pockets and he shrugged, “It’s not so bad.”

A silence blanketed over them as they just watched each other, almost like they were strangers. But they weren’t strangers, Emilia thought. No, they were much more than that. Her heart rammed in her chest and she was sure it was so loud, he’d be able to hear it.

Finally, she shook her head, “God, my manners are horrid. Do you want something to drink? To eat?” she asked, smiling softly before she turned to head back into the kitchen. “You’re probably dying for a cuppa…”

Emilia didn’t make it two steps before Tom crossed the room and took hold of her arm, gently turning her and pulling her body into his. His mouth sealed over hers, his strong arms winding about her waist and she felt the entire world slip away in his kiss. Four weeks, four long weeks since she had touched him, felt him, brushed her lips against his. Her body surged into his and her arms immediately went about his neck. She heard the moan leave her and slip into him as his teeth gently coaxed her mouth open.

Tom’s body was guiding her back along the tiny hallway of her apartment, his hands suddenly pulling her blouse from her skirt. “How long,” he started between kisses. “Do we have?”

Emilia’s body had completely taken over as his lips created a familiar path from her jaw down her neck. She groaned and desperately pushed her hips into his, her hands tugging at his nice jacket. “I don’t care. However long it takes for us to talk.”

He laughed at that, a deep sound that shot straight through her and ended between her thighs. He picked her up and she gasped, her hands slipping into his hair as he backed into her tiny bedroom and dropped her on the bed. They had barely been kissing and she was panting already like she was in heat.

Ungracefully, she scrambled to her knees on the edge of the bed and reached for the buttons on his shirt as he threw off his jacket. His hands took hold of the hem of her blouse and pulled it up and over her head, adding it to the growing pile of clothing. He then stepped up to the side of the bed, taking her face in his hands and tipping her head to look up at him. His blue eyes searched over her face and for a few moments, neither moved.

“I’ve missed you, darling Emilia. Oh Lord, how I’ve missed you,” he whispered, searing her mouth with another kiss that left her shaking from head to toe.

The rest of their clothing disappeared quickly and Emilia gasped as Tom pushed her so her back hit the sheets of her bed. Her breath was caught in her chest, her eyes roaming over his body again. Tom was doing the same to her as his hands circled around her ankles and pulled her toward him. The smile that lit her face was unconscious and she didn’t realize she was grinning until he grinned back.

Then his body was over hers, his hands slipping up the curve of her waist, then up under her breasts clad in her favorite bra. Thank God I put it on today, she thought briefly before his large, warm palms pulled down the cups. She shivered, but not from the air, and then sighed as his mouth closed over one pebbled peak.

“Tom,” she breathed, her hands finding a well-known path up his shoulders and into his hair, holding his head against her chest. Her legs circled his waist as he rolled her nipple between his tongue and the roof of his mouth. The pleasure shooting through her heightened with the scrape of the shadow of scruff dusting his cheeks and jaw. Her back arched and she moaned his name louder.

"Fuck I had almost forgotten how utterly amazing your skin tastes," he breathed against her, kissing across her breast bone to play havoc with her other nipple.

Her body ground up and over his cock hardening beneath his knit boxers. Their heavy breathing, gasps and moans sounded like a conversation. Tom slipped down her body, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake. The rough pads of his fingertips against her smooth skin caused goosebumps all over her and Emilia wondered, for one brief moment, if all this was a dream.

An amazing dream, where everything was okay, where she was with him and every day, she was happy. Happy with herself, happy with her life, happy with Tom. Her heart felt too big for her chest and she pressed a hand there in an attempt to slow its erratic beating. She heaved in air, not able to get enough in her lungs. Tom pressed his slightly chapped lips against her skin, just above her bellybutton, and she shuddered, her eyes fluttering close and her back bowing her body up to meet his mouth.

“I love you.”

Tom stilled and Emilia’s eyes flew open. Her hand on her chest quickly slapped over her mouth as she looked down at Tom. “Oh God, I didn’t mean … no, I mean, I meant it. I do, I mean it. But I didn’t want to say it in the middle of …” She paused as her hands gestured wildly between them. “I wanted to say it so you would know it wasn’t in the heat of the moment or just … the surprise of seeing you and…”

Fuck it all, she was rambling and close to tears to boot. That was not how she wanted to tell him she loved him. It was supposed to be… well planned, thought out, so he would know she was serious.

Tom slowly raised his head to look at her and Emilia’s words immediately died on her lips as he grinned so brightly at her. He crawled back up her body, his warm palms framing her face as his azure eyes looked deep into her. “Say it again,” he whispered, his voice deep and rough.

Emilia swallowed hard and suddenly felt more courage at seeing the utter look of hope lighting his face.

“I love you, Tom,” she said, her voice steadier than she imagined it would be.

He laughed softly, with a twinge of relief she thought, and then kissed her, a long, slow kiss that curled her toes and had her tugging at his waist to press his body into her more. After what felt like a delicious lifetime, he slowly pulled back, tugging her lower lip before kissing back down her body.

“I love you, Emilia,” he breathed into her skin, slipping her panties down her legs. “And I’m of a mind to never stop.”

She blinked back the tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes and for the first time since she boarded her plane in London, felt at ease and calm. As Tom moved back up to hover over her, planting soft kisses along her neck and collarbone, Emilia sighed contently. She buried her fingers in his hair and tilted her head up for a kiss as his hand slipped between her thighs. Her moans were muffled by his mouth, but his long fingers encouraged them on, playing her so perfectly, her peak blindsided her.

Her back arched and her hands scrambled for purchase on his shoulders, pulling his body down into hers as she rode out the pleasure. When Emilia came back to herself, panting heavily in the crux of his neck meeting his shoulder, she pulled back and looked at him wide-eyed.

Tom continued to gently run his fingers up and down her wet folds, softly teasing her clit and sending little sparks through her. He smiled and kissed her nose, her cheeks and then her mouth. “That was very quick,” he murmured.

She hummed in response, her lips tugging on his gently. “It’s been about four weeks, I’ve had a lot pent up,” she whispered.

Tom’s grin dripped with masculine pride. “While I’m sorry you went through the dry spell, I’m happy to hear it.” He shifted his body, his wide palms spreading her thighs further apart as he settled between them. She gave a contented groan as she languidly stretched under him and his lips moved up her chest. “And I’m very happy to satisfy that ache,” he said deeply.

Emilia pulled her lower lip between her teeth, raking her fingers through his hair as he kissed up to her mouth, his hands pressing her hips into the bed. “You haven’t totally satisfied it yet,” she whispered in challenge.

“In a moment, darling,” he replied, his grin wolfish as he stole another long, deep kiss from her.

Her fingers tightened in his hair as his hand skimmed down her stomach, the slightly rough palm creating a delicious scrape against her smooth skin. Tom dipped his mouth to her neck, his teeth gently worrying the skin there as he worked off his boxers. Emilia moaned an incoherent plea, only briefly worried he would leave a mark.

Tom breathed her name against the column of her neck, his hand palming his cock between her thighs and teasingly rubbing the head against her clit. She tilted her hips, trying to tease him inside her, but he held fast, watching her with the pupils of his blue eyes blown wide.

“I’ve dreamt about you every night since you left,” Tom admitted against her skin, his lips lovingly moving up to her ear.

Emilia wrapped her arms around him tighter, not wanting him to leave her. “I’ve thought about you every minute. How I love you, how I wish I would have told you…”

He pulled back and kissed away the tear lingering just at the corner of her eye. “Shhh,” he breathed lovingly, kissing her cheek again, moving back to her mouth. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She gasped as he slipped slowly inside her and her body welcomed him warmly.

His eyes met hers and for a moment, everything was just suspended in time. She knew the moment would forever be seared in her memory, no matter what happened between them. Tom leaned down and kissed her again, his hands gripping her hips and pressing her down in the mattress. He pulled back and then pushed forward with a slow, hard movement. Her eyes fluttered close and she held onto him as he rocked and drove into her again and again, guiding them both toward sweet bliss.

His hand moved to nudge her thighs around his waist, and the change in angle made her sigh. Yes, she remembered this well, basked in this intimate knowledge he had of her. Oh, how he knew her; knew her body, knew her sighs and her wordless pleas. He knew how to hold her hips and worship her breasts. He knew the line of her neck which made her chant his name like a prayer and knew the tenderness of her ear. He knew the softness of her thighs and the touches and words to make her come undone for him.

Tom’s breath was hot in her ear as he slipped such soft words to her at that moment. The rhythm of his thrusts was fast and hard and utterly perfect. Emilia lifted her hips to meet him and as he stuttered in his thrusts, her second orgasm exploded through her, starting in her center and racing like hot lightening through her limbs. She felt him come after her and then gently fall onto her body.

Emilia felt empty yet full at the same time. Maybe it was because of the emotions she had let go and the relief that filled her then. Whatever the case, as Tom rolled to his back, she followed him and burrowed against his side, her hand pressed against his chest to feel the steady, reassuring beating of his heart.

His long arms slipped around her and held her tightly, his lips occasionally pressing soft kisses into her hair. Content and warm, Emilia sighed, her ever-churning mind finally at rest. Her fingers traced patterns between the light freckles on his chest and his hand never stopped its soothing path up and down the curve of her spine.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Tom whispered.

Emilia pressed her lips against his chest, “I missed you, too. I wanted to call you so many times, but I was so scared…”

His hand gently cupped her chin, tilting her face up to shush her with a kiss. When they pulled apart, he gave her a small, rueful smile, “I wanted to call you every day, but … I didn’t want to push you too much. I knew you needed your space, you needed to think.”

Emilia swallowed hard, her hand splayed out over his skin. “Quite the pair we make,” she mumbled.

They were silent for a moment, the pitter-patter of rain creating an ambiance as they laid tangled together. Finally, after a few moments, Emilia shifted until she was able to prop up her chin on his chest, looking up at him. “How long can you stay?” she asked softly.

Tom pulled in a deep breath, his chest rising dramatically with the action. He reached forward, combing his long fingers through her hair as he swallowed hard, “Three days, I fly back to New York Thursday. I have interviews and TV appearances Friday before the premiere. Then we’re off to LA.”

She licked her lips nervously and stared at a fairly predominate freckle on his shoulder that caught her attention. “Would you… would you come back? After?”

Another deep breath before he licked his lips, “I could for another few days. Rehearsals for Coriolanus begin in a week or two and I’ll have to be back to London.”

Emilia rested her head against his chest once more, listening to the rain and his breathing as they lulled back into a silence. It was 3:30 in the afternoon, but given everything that had happened in the past few hours, and the hum of happiness in her chest, she felt a warm bout of sleep begin to curl around her.

“Em,” Tom’s voice rumbled through him. “Maybe we could…”

Those three words started the panic so easily in her, she felt startled. And she didn’t want to fall back into it so quickly. Emilia shifted up, pressing her lips to his to interrupt. “Shhh,” she whispered, snuggling back against him. “Later.”

“But…”

She swallowed hard, wrapping her arms about him and squeezing him tight to her. “Please? You’re here now, and I’m in your arms and this isn’t a dream. Can I have this tonight? Just you and me?”

A moment passed and Tom didn’t respond, causing the worry to begin to bloom once more in her chest. But then he tightened his hold on her and kissed her forehead, chasing away the fear. “Just you and me, love. Just you and me.”

~*~*~*~

Emilia had no more vacation days to use and while Tom assured her he was quite able to handle himself while she was at work in the morning, she still worried about it. However, it proved to be a train of thought she did not need to have. When Maggie saw her the next morning, she promptly demanded Emilia go straight back home. Preferably to bed with Tom.

“Seriously, I’m going to get a sunburn from your glow,” her boss said playfully with a wide grin.

Emilia felt her cheeks flush, “Shut up. I am not glowing that bad.”

“Oh yes you are, my dear. Seriously, go home! You can work from home, I give you permission.”

It wasn’t a lie; most of Emilia’s clients conversed with her through emails, which she could check at home. Other paperwork she could file online as well. However, Emilia promised she would stay through lunch, and when Tom texted her about getting something to eat, she all but dashed out for the afternoon.

The next two days, she was in and out of the office and in and out of bed with Tom. Emilia had thought of taking him to see the very few places of her small town worth talking about, but he told her she was what he had come to see, and she hated to argue the point any further.

It was odd because at first, it was as if they were making up for the four weeks they hadn’t been together. Then Emilia thought the sex was about reminding each other of what they felt when they were together. It wasn’t until Wednesday morning that she realized they were both trying to tell themselves this would be enough; rare bouts of days spent either in the States or in London. Working around her vacation time and his projects… living in two different continents.

“We need to talk about this, Emilia.”

Tom said the words just as she was clearing away their dishes from supper. Sitting the plates in the sink, she gripped the edge of the counter, heaving in a deep breath. “I know,” she breathed. “I know we must.”

From his perch at her small kitchen table, he drew in a deep sigh and she heard him card a hand through his hair. “Coriolanus starts in December; I’ll be doing shows every day until my birthday in February, I won’t be able to get away until then.”

Emilia licked her lips and nodded, not able to turn and face him just yet. “I will have new vacation days after the first of the year. I could maybe it make it over toward the end of January?”

“That could work. I’ll be flying to Toronto in February. That will be easier for us, wouldn’t it?” he asked, his voice soft and hesitant, as if he were afraid she would say no at any moment.

She pulled in a deep breath to calm the rising tide of panic, but it did not help as much as she had hoped.

As her brain whirled and she tried to hold back the coming, crashing tide, she barely registered the sound of Tom pushing back from the table and moving toward her. His hands on her arms didn’t startle her too much, and after another deep breath, she relaxed back into him.

“We’re nuts, aren’t we?” she whispered.

He bent and placed a tender kiss to her shoulder. “No, we’re not. We’re both intelligent adults who love each other. We’ll make it work, I swear.”

“Some how,” she breathed, nodding and reminding herself he was there because he wanted her and if he was willing to traipse across the country to find her, she could make it work.

Tom squeezed her arms and placed another kiss on her shoulder, then one of her neck. His arms slipped down and wrapped around her middle, pulling her body back into his. “There’s always… there’s always London…. permanently.”

And just like that, the crushing fear was back, just as much in force as it had been in his flat all those weeks ago. Emilia swallowed hard and gently pulled herself from Tom’s arms. “Tom, I … I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

When she chanced a look back at him, his face was full of hurt and confusion. “I don’t understand. I thought…so, did you just decide you don’t love me?”

“No!” she cried, a bit hurt herself that he would automatically jump to that conclusion. She forced herself to take a deep breath and put a little courage in her spine. “Tom, I love you. I know that for a fact. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to up heave my life. I would love to say I am ready for that, but the truth is, I’m not.”

He seemed to deflate, his anger leaving him as his shoulders slumped, “I’m pushing too much.”

“No,” Emilia said very firmly. When he shook his head as if he didn’t believe her, she closed the distance between them and took his hands. “No, Tom. You aren’t, and I mean that.”

With a deep breath, she looked down at their intertwined hands. “I told you I came to London to find myself. That wasn’t a lie. All my life, I’ve felt like I’ve had to be perfect to be happy. In every relationship I’ve ever had, from my parents to my best friends to boyfriends, I told myself I had to be exactly what they wanted to love me.”

Emilia turned from him, not wanting to cry as she told him this, but finding it very hard. “When something would go wrong, I always blamed myself. I had done something wrong, there was something the matter with me. Over the years, it grew and it festered. Every failed relationship, every mistake I ever made, every time I did not reach the goal I set for myself.”

“I’ve been so unhappy, Tom. I can’t even find the words to describe it. I worry over so much; if I’m acting the right way, saying the right things, being the person I’m supposed to be … I am so wrapped up in being what I think is perfect, I don’t know what I want.”

“And then you found me.” She stopped and turned to him, trying to not let the blank look on his face frighten her out of her words. “I was so worried I was would fall back into my old ways that I didn’t see. You showed me, Tom. You made me feel happy and special. You were able to show me that not being perfect was okay.”

Her hand went to her forehead as she bent her head, trying to hide her tears. “And it took me letting you go to realize … to realize I love you. And I want to be with you. I want to live in London and wake up to the crappy weather there and hear you fixing tea in the kitchen. I want sunny afternoons reading Shakespeare in the park and good beer in Soho. I want to fight with you and make up with you and fix you dinner and cry on the phone that I miss you when you’re away.”

Tom stepped closer to her, but she didn’t stop. “I don’t want to be perfect anymore. I want to stop trying to be. I want to stop hating myself and I want to know that I won’t ruin everything. That I won’t ruin you or disappoint you. I don’t want to think that I’m not good enough for you. I want to feel like I deserve things, that I deserve you…”

Emilia had dissolved into tears now, heavy sobs that rocked her body and she felt a gasp leave her as Tom’s arms wrapped around her and pulled her near, holding her protectively against his strong frame. One arm completely wrapped around her back, the other cradled her head as he gently rocked her in his arms.

“Shhhh,” he breathed, his own voice sounding broken. “Shhh, my love. My Emilia.”

It took her a moment to regain herself, but it was easier than most of the nights she had cried since she’d come back. With Tom whispering soothing words to her, her tears finally stopped and her sobs quieted.

“Tell me what to do,” he pleaded, still holding on to her tightly. “Whatever you need from me, just ask it Emilia and I’ll do it.”

Emilia sniffled and pulled away, cupping his face in her hands. “Go back to New York. Then go to LA. See Chris, see Natalie, see Kat. Have fun. Be charming and amazing. Then go back to London. Call me every night before you go to bed. Send me flowers when you’re thinking about me and texts when you’re bored. Just be you, Tom. And that will help me.”

The blue of his eyes filled with tears. “And you?”

She swallowed hard, staring at the spot where his neck met his shoulder, and soothed down the collar of his button up. “Carmen and I have been talking. She … she and I both think I need some help. She has a therapist lined up for me to talk with next week. And I’m going to go from there.”

Her eyes watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed hard. Then, his hands moved up and took both of hers from his shoulders. When she tipped her chin up to look at him, his smile was warm and loving. “I’m so proud of you, Emilia. Truly I am.”

“I can’t ask for you to wait for me, Tom,” she said, her voice shaking as her fingers curled around his.

He shook his head and leaned down, stealing a gentle kiss. “You don’t have to. I told you I would, and I will honor that promise.”

Tom’s last night at her apartment was far better than Emilia’s last night at his flat. They laughed and told stories about themselves they hadn’t had a chance to in London. They stayed tangled in her bed all evening and into the early hours of the morning. And as she watched him get dress - another impeccable button down, this time black paired with snug jeans - she did it with a small smile.

As he picked up his bag, he turned to her, taking a deep breath. “I know … I know it would be asking a lot. However.” He paused, pulling something from his small carry on. “I bought this, for you.”

He laid the folded papers on her dresser. “It’s a plane ticket to LA. I had hoped to convince you to come with me and then fly to London, but after everything, I’m trying a different approach.”

Emilia sat up, clutching her cover to her chest, “You want me to come out to the premiere?”

“Yes,” he answered with a nervous grin. “Be my arm candy, let me introduce you to Chris. Let me take you to my favorite place on the beach to watch a sunrise.”

She gave a soft laugh, “Always the sunrises with you.”

“They are beautiful beginnings,” he said, his eyes boring straight into her.

A deep breath escaped her as she looked at the innocent paper sitting on the corner of the dresser. “I …”

“No pressure,” he interrupted gently. “But just know… you’ll be most welcomed.”

Emilia licked her lips and instead of giving in to her urge to immediately respond with a no, she smiled. “Thank you, Tom.”

Tom let out a breath and looked at the ticket, putting his hand on it. “If you do decide to fly out, and you can’t get a hold of me, Luke’s number is written here as well as the information about my hotel and schedule.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and hugged tightly, “Gotcha.”

The alarm on his phone went off, signaling his needed departure and he let out a forlorn sigh. “Right,” he whispered and then moved over to her, dropping his bag on the floor and nearly tackling her to the bed.

Emilia couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up from her as his mouth descended onto hers. The laughter turned to a soft sigh as her arms went around his neck and his hands found the curves of her waist. They kissed deeply, not frantically, but with the reassurance they would see each other once again.

“I love you, Emilia Conners,” Tom whispered against her lips.

“And I love you, Thomas Hiddleston,” she answered with a smile.

He kissed her again, adding more heat this time, his hands pulling and moving her cover until he found bare skin. Emilia’s heart thudded in her chest as his long fingers traced down and over her thighs.

“I’ll wait for you,” he promised with his lips as his fingers moved in a way as if to instruct her body never to forget them.

She gasped and clutched tighter, her words leaving her. He used the opportunity to kiss her again and then he was gone. At the doorway of her bedroom, Tom paused, pulling the strap of his bag over his shoulder. He shot her a grin, his eyes dragging over her as if to commit her to memory. “See you soon,” he said.

“I hope so,” she said in return.

And then he was gone.

As the front door shut and she heard his rental car drive away, Emilia sighed deeply and sat up. After a few moments, she talked herself out of bed rather than hiding under the covers. She felt like that was a big accomplishment. A cup of Earl Grey was her next order of business. As the kettle heated on the stove, she went back to the doorway of her bedroom. Leaning against the frame, she stared at the paper Tom left on her dresser.

LA.

The kettle’s whistle blew and Emilia turned away, wondering what the weather was like in LA in November.

 

THE END.


	12. Epilogue: Hero/Heroine

_I won’t try to philosophize  
_ _I’ll just take a deep breath then I’ll look in your eyes_   
_This is how I feel, and it’s so surreal._   
_I got a closet filled up to the brim_   
_With the ghosts of my past and their skeletons_   
_And I don’t know why you’d even try_   
_But I won’t lie…_

That night was an emotional storm. Tom stared at his reflection in the mirror of the grand bathroom of his hotel room in downtown Los Angeles. His frame was leaned forward, his palms flat on the marble, the tension in his shoulders even visible in the pane of the mirror. He stared in his own eyes, his thoughts a thunderous torrent, crashing over and over.

That was that. Unless told otherwise, Tom would not be in another Marvel film. Sure, there was always the possibility of Thor 3 with how this second movie ended, but if he knew anything it was that the film industry wasn’t full of guarantees. The emotion that assaulted him from that thought was something he wasn’t prepared for. It wasn’t that he was so surprised by the statement from the reporter, it was just with everything that had happened with Emilia just a few days ago, he couldn’t think of an answer. He joked and shook it off as best he could, but deep down, he felt like someone had twisted a knife already in his gut. There was a lot that was up in the air in his life at the moment, and he suddenly wasn’t okay with the uncertainty. 

It was after that interview, however, that Luke took his elbow and turned him toward the theater. And it was in a darkened corner, Tom saw her, shining like a lighthouse beacon in a stormy night. Emilia stood as lovely as ever, looking at him with a soft smile and bright eyes. He had left the ticket with her praying against all odds she would fly out to be with him that night. It was like a dream … no, it was like the ending of a movie, the hero rushing toward his heroine.

He walk toward her with even paced steps, so as to not tip off the media behind him that something was amiss, and enveloped her in his arms. Her heels made her taller, but it was all right; now he could bury his face in the smooth column of her neck. The smell of vanilla, something else sweet and something completely Emilia filled his head and curled around him like an old friend.

"You’re here," he breathed into her skin. "Good Lord, I am so happy to see you."

Her arms were around him and he felt at home. “You needed me here, so here I am,” she breathed.

He heaved in a deep, filling breath; the smell of her putting him in a daze. It was so intoxicating. Tom pulled back to look at this woman, his lover who knew him like her favorite book. Her dark hair was in soft waves cascading down and in the faint light reaching them he could see the hint of a beautiful blush gracing her cheeks.

“I didn’t dare hope,” he breathed, gently caressing her face, warmed by her soft smile.

“You did say we would make this work,” she teased, the smile tugging at the corner of her lips making him feel certain of something deep inside.

Without another word, Tom leaned in and stole a deep kiss, the kind he loved to take from her gorgeous mouth when she wasn’t expecting it. He relished in the way she melted against him, her lips demanding when he teased, her hands curling the lapels of his jacket in her hands.

When he pulled back, Tom clung to her, pulling her in and holding her tightly, afraid she’d slip away. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Emilia.”

She shook her head, “I love you, you tall, adorable, charming British man.”

He let out a small laugh and carefully kissed the top of her head, mindful of her hair, “I love you, you gorgeous, amazing, fantastic American woman.”

That made her laugh and for the first time since he’d left her apartment the week before, Tom felt at ease. They could do this. She was going to get better, he would be there for her and soon, she would be with him in London. Permanently. The idea was more than enough to send his heart racing. After everything that had happened since Emilia Conners had come into his life, Tom thought he would be more apprehensive about the future, about whether this all would work out in the end.

But she was strong; Emilia wasn’t going to let her past rule her anymore and so neither was he. She loved him; against all the odds and rational sense, she loved him and he her. They would make it work, come hell or high water. He would be strong for her, give her anything she needed.

“Tom,” Luke politely interrupted, looking very sorry to do so. “I have to get you back out there.”

Tom drew in a deep breath and nodded. He then smiled at Emilia, “Duty calls.”

She gave him a warm, lovely smile as she straightened his lapels and his tie. “Knock ‘em dead, babe.”

He felt more at ease than he had in weeks as he went back to the red carpet, finishing out his interviews and trying to see as many fans as he could. Every once in a while, he’d glance around looking for Emilia. Luke said he would take care of her, but still… this was her first outing and he worried desperately about her. Tom was able to skirt away for a few moments to introduce her to Chris and Elsa finally and as he and Chris went for an interview, his friend clapped him on the back and smiled brightly.

“You seem happy, happier than when we were in Europe,” he said.

Tom drew in a deep breath, feeling a grin break out on his face as he glanced back at Em and Elsa talking. “I feel happier. She loves me and we’re going to make this work,” he said brightly, images of their future filtering through his mind.

Chris grinned, “Well I’m happy for you. It’s about time.”

Though the rest of the night went off without a hitch - Tom had even seen Kat approach Emilia and the two of them hugged, laughed and talked as the cast slipped into the theater - Tom still found himself awake later that night, starring in the mirror. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn’t hear Emilia slip into the bathroom, her arms wrapping around his waist as she pressed herself against his back.

“Hey, you okay?” she whispered against his skin.

Tom sighed, bowing his head and placing one of his hands over her arms holding him. “Yes, darling. Just feeling a bit restless. It’s been a wild few weeks.”

Emilia pressed her lips against his bare shoulder. “I know what you mean.” He heard her take a deep breath as her arms tightened around him. “Can I coax you back to this luxurious hotel bed to try to forget some of it?”

Tom shook his head, his arm reaching around and guiding her in front of him between his body and the sink. “You can do something else for me,” he whispered, his hands going to her hips and lifting her body, perching her on the edge of the counter.

Her smile was warm, soft, welcoming. He stepped up between the cradle of her thighs and kissed her with all the love he felt in his heart. The way she sighed against his mouth, the way her legs and arms tightened and held him close to her eased the turmoil in his mind.

The distance would be hard - Tom would yearn for her every day. But she was worth it. He promised he would wait for her. And if his reward was moments like this - her body drawing him in, her lips soft and her sighs filled with love and adoration for him - then Tom would gladly weather the storm.

 _And I feel a weakness coming on_  
 _It never felt so good to be so wrong_  
Had my heart on lockdown  
And then you turned me around….  
 _And you caught me off guard_  
 _Now I’m running and screaming._  
  
 _I feel like a Hero and you are my Heroine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s it! Thank you all so so so much for your love, support and thoughtful messages. I am so glad you all came to love Tom and Emilia as much as I did. I promise there will be more moments of them in the future. Thank you all again and I hope you enjoyed xoxo


End file.
